


🐾  𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟  🐾

by Arthuria_PenDragon



Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [10]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Additional Information can be found in Notes, Alpha Akashi Seijuurou, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Angst and Fluff, Animal Instincts, Animal Symbolism, Animal Traits, Animal Transformation, AoKuro BROTP, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya Brotherhood, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya Friendship, BAMF Generation of Miracles, BAMF Kuroko Tetsuya, Bonding, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Death Threats, Family Fluff, Flashbacks, Gen, GoM as a Family, Inspired by Fanart, Inspired by Fanfiction, Kemonomimi, Kind of Long-Distance Relationship(s), Loose time-frame/setting is in chapter summary as these shots are just random, Magic, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Mysticism, No A/B/O Dynamics, Non-Linear Narrative, One Shot Collection, Pack Family, Panther Aomine Daiki, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Possibly Out of Character, Protective Generation of Miracles, READ NOTES, Scenting, Scents & Smells, Shapeshifting, Soul Bond, Spirit Animals, Symbolism, Teiko Middle School's A+ Teaching, Teikou's A+ Coaching, Teikou's A+ Teaching, Threats of Violence, Tiger Kagami Taiga, Why Did I Write This?, Wolf Kuroko Tetsuya, Wolves, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, just another fic to try satisfying my need for platonic/brotherly AoKuro, panthers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28861371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arthuria_PenDragon/pseuds/Arthuria_PenDragon
Summary: In a world where humans taking the form of animals is part of the normal... the lives of certain High School students is still the same... only this time, they don’t only have to stuggle with their normal human emotions, but something older. They have to struggle their inner animals’ instincts, while living their lives, but it’s easier said, than done, when the past hangs above their heads, like Damocles’ Sword...Nothing is what it seems, when it comes to theKiseki no Sedai...
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou & Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki & Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya, Aomine Daiki & Kuroko Tetsuya & Momoi Satsuki, Generation of Miracles & Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryouta & Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles, Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles & Kuroko Tetsuya, Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles & Midorima Shintarou, Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles & Momoi Satsuki, Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles & Murasakibara Atsushi
Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021426
Comments: 61
Kudos: 136





	1. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕝𝕗

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spaded_ace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaded_ace/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Something Shifted](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514643) by [WriterRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterRose/pseuds/WriterRose). 



> The fic was primarily inspired by this pic:  
> https://i.postimg.cc/4dVD6Jhj/tumblr-Ao-Kuro-Animals.png
> 
> Partly, it was inspired by the Shapeshifter AU written by @WriterRose, called "Something Shifted"
> 
> Also, this is a gift fic for @spaded_ace, who inqired about the other GoM's animal forms... So I decided to turn this into a multi-chapter story. "spaded_ace" this is my gift for you, because if you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have started wondering about the other animals and honestly? It was fun, trying to figure out, what animals would fit certain characters...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tōō and Seirin meet for the very first time since Teikō’s (in)famous team split up and the two teams find out an unexpected secret about the two Miracles present.  
> Nothing is what it seems, when it comes to the _Kiseki no Sedai..._

Kuroko huffed, as they finally finished their training. Everyone in Seirin seemed ready to die right then — not that Kuroko was in any better shape, than them,— and Kagami was fully Shifted. The huge Bengal tiger he’d turned into took up the middle of the gym, his tongue out, laying on his side as if dead. The coach was muttering something about the disgusting pool of tiger saliva in her gym, but she was being ignored by most people.

Hyūga-sempai gently prodded the striped hide with a foot. “Hey? Kagami are you... alive?“

The tiger gave a sound —something like a groan and a growl at once,— but in all honesty, it wasn’t too... _convincing_. But the rise and fall of his side was enough proof for Kuroko. His partner was alive and would... eventually be able to stand on his own two fee— khm _four paws_.

Izuki-sempai looked at him curiously. “Are you... okay, Kuroko?“

Kuroko nodded, still trying his best to keep the itching of his skin under control. Whenever their human bodies were pushed to the limit, Shifters tended to take their animal form subconsciously, to allow their bodies proper rest. And right now, Kuroko was very, _very_ tired. He _will not_ Shift. He closed his eyes and took a few minutes for himself, ignoring his surroundings to curb his instincts. “I’m fine, thanks. Why sound so worried?”

Izuki hummed, his dark eyes trailed on him. “Well... you know... we all heard the... _rumours_. That the _Kiseki_ are... Shifters. Carnivores at that, too.”

At those words, everyone looked at him expectantly and Kagami’s tail flicked into the air, to show, that he was listening too, despite still not moving an inch from his spot.

Kuroko hummed. “Maybe we are.“ he stated simply. It wasn’t that their Shifter status was a _secret._.. but still. It was something private, just among the seven of them. Just something to be spoken of, among the pack members.

“Ah... it’s just... are you one as well?“ he asked awkwardly. “Seeing how Kagami is... I bet others would have Shifted too, if...“ he trailed off.

Kuroko stood up slowly, his legs still feeling like jelly. He just wanted to go home and curl up in front of the fireplace and sleep. He was tired enough to skip even his usual milkshake and dose for the day.

“I am one, yes.“ he stated. The team blinked at him in surprise.

“So... you’re a carnivore too?“the coach asked studying him, with her brown eyes narrowed, “Uh... how come you have not Shifted, then? I mean... not even a claw or a tail or...”

Kuroko sighed. “It’s all just question of self-control, kantoku. Teikō taught us to play our best, yes. But we were not allowed to Shift on the court, not in training and _certainly_ not during matches. We learned to keep our instincts at bay. Doing so means we could — _can_ — play with a clear head and use our sharpening senses to the fullest. Use the animal traits, the extra awareness, that comes with the game progressing... with clear, human understanding. Being focused, when the other team was struggling with our skills, strategies _and_ their instincts, meant our overwhelming victory.”

A deathly silence fell.

“Woah...“ Izuki murmured, “I heard, that Teikō was break-neck... but this, _this_... to teach you to go against instinct...“

Kuroko shook his head. “They did not teach us, to go against instincts. They taught us to control our impulses, rather than be controlled by them.”

“It’s still not normal...“ came the half-growl from the middle of the court. Kuroko noticed, that his new partner had finally Shifted, although he still looked winded and instead of purely human appearance, his animalistic traits were still clearly showing.

A tail, two ears, elongated canines and nails, slit pupils. He looked remarkably like Dai when his brother was in his half form. But where Dai’s fur was black, Kagami’s was blazing orange with stripes all over. And Kagami’s stripes, even on his human skin, were much more easily noticed, than the faint spots on Dai. But then again, those spots were so faint, that one had to actively look for them, even in his brother’s half-Shifted state.

“It’s _not_ normal to repress your instincts so much. I get it, here in Japan, people are more reserved about Shifting than in the US. That’s fine, but to _completely_ repress it... not even showing off your half-forms...” he trailed off, shaking his head in disapproval.

Kuroko shrugged. “It’s not too bad,” he said quietly. He was used to leashing the beast within him. They were all used to it — Teikō had been strict in their disciplinary lessons. They’d all quickly learned to excel not only in the game but in self-control as well if they wanted to stay in the First String. “Besides, I _do_ need a lot of self-control anyway. If I’d just let my instincts take over and let my scent fill the court, it would never work, because another Shifter may just smell me. That would make my whole style useless.“

Kagami sniffed the air and then frowned. “So that’s it, huh? That’s why I can’t tell your smell. I can’t even get a whiff of what you are...”

Kuroko hummed. “If I’d let you or anyone, in general, sense me so easily, Kagami-kun... I would not have gained my moniker, you know. And to be honest? I’m quite proud of that moniker because it proves that I could — _can_ , keep up with amazing players, like my former teammates. I will never be like them, but my abilities _do_ allow me to keep up with them, as long as I have a strong partner to work with. And that’s what matters.”

Kagami eyed him and then snorted. “One of these days, though... I’ll figure out what sort of Shifter you are.“

Kuroko hummed again, amusement flashing trough his blue eyes. “I’m a carnivore, like you. That’s enough for you to know, for now.”

“Why is it hard to imagine you as any sort of “dangerous“ animal?“ Koganei murmured, eyeing him.

Kuroko glanced at him. “Believe whatever you wish, Koganei-kun. But I _did_ grow as a player, in Teikō and I was, _**I am** _ a member of the _Kiseki no Sedai_. If I didn’t have fangs of my own, our Captain may just have snapped me in half.“ he murmured amusedly, recalling the countless Second and Third String members, who didn’t even _dare_ approaching Sei and those, who attempted, stayed at least five feet away.

At first, they’d all laughed about it — sure, Seijūrō made sure to let the Club know after Nijimura-sempai had left, that _he_ was the Captain and he would not be looked down on, only because he was younger than some other members. But he cared a lot for the Club members and treated everyone equally and helped, whenever needed. Or at least tried... but honestly, it was hard for people to see his soft, borderline mother hen side, when all they could focus on, was the 600-pound carnivore he could Shift into. And somehow, those scared-out-of-their-mind players ended up turning to him, because somehow they deemed _him_ , the least dangerous.

By the second semester of the second year, it was more headache, than fun. So Sei and the coach had taken drastic measures...

So somehow — _he still didn’t understand how exactly,_ because neither Shin nor Sei were willing to reveal what _that_ meeting with the coaches had been about— he was named the Captain of the lower Strings. So those poor players had to look Sei in the eyes the least. They sought him — or in a crisis, sough Shintarō if they wanted something. But never Sei. They were too afraid of him... although he hadn’t done anything _too_ bad... sure, throwing scissors and flashing his fangs from time to time, didn’t help, but _still_...

“Just... what sort of person is he?“ Furihata asked, gulping.

Kuroko hummed. “Demanding, but caring at the same time. And certainly, not someone you say _“no”_ to. But he was a good leader, until...“ he trailed off.

 _‘Until we were forced apart by Teikō,‘_ he thought darkly.

Huffs and humms went around Seirin and Kuroko sighed, grabbing his jacket and throwing it on, along with dragging the sweatpants over his shorts. He was too tired, to worry about properly changing. It wasn’t such a long walk... from the gym to his home, so it should be alright. He just wanted to relax and try banishing the thoughts of his teammates, because the more he thought about them, the more he missed them and honestly? They’d just split up and all of them had their hands full of things, that came with a new school and team. He didn’t want to bother either of them.

They’ll get around to meet each other later, he reasoned.

Even as he left the gym, he heard the others whisper about the _Kiseki_. Wondering what Shifters they were... and what had driven them apart. But the fact was, that their friendship was not broken. The seven of them were _still_ Bonded and Kuroko knew, that Seijūrō cared too much, to let the Bond be broken or weakened in any way.

Teikō may have coerced them into choosing separate teams, but their Bonds were _not_ broken. That was something, not even Teikō could force them to do because they had Bonded out of free will — it had nothing to do with Teikō and victory and whatever. For the world, it may look like, that their team going on separate ways, was a fracture.

But they could not be farther from the truth.

They were all still friends, _family_ — playing for different schools was an idea, they toyed with, as their skills grew and no team could stand up against them. But in the end, it had been something Teikō poked their nose into...

He sighed. Hopefully, he’ll see his siblings during the Inter-High... (A meeting was due soon, anyway. He could barely sense the others’ scent on himself and that was disturbing. _Surely_ , Sei and Tsuki were already planning something...)

* * *

Aomine Daiki was in a bad mood. Well... not really, he was just... out of it. He kinda missed his teammates — packmates. _He missed the Kiseki._ Sure, Satsuki was here and that was _good_. If Satsuki weren’t here, he would have long lost his mind and Shifted right in front of... well, literally anyone. But then again, he had to curb his instincts one too many times anyway, when one or two bastards started eyeing or harassing his childhood friend/sister too much. Oh, Satsuki thought he didn’t know, but he kept an eye on her, at _all times_.

Shapeshifters were not common in the world, but they weren’t oddities either. So he would not be discriminated for being a Shifter, but... his teammates were already wary of him, due to his basketball skills and they didn’t exactly like him either, due to his “arrogance“, as Wakamatsu put it. The last thing he needed was for them to fret or moan about his Shifter status. Or rather, the fact that he was a carnivore.

Of course, he knew that there were rumours about his team — the _Kiseki no Sedai,_ not only the best basketball players of the Middle School circuit but also rumoured Shifters. Every single one of them and on top of it, all of them predators. Or at least, that was what the rumour said.

Which, Aomine noted, was for once, true. Because _rumours were rarely ever true_ — but this one _was_. All six of them were Shifters, which was awe-inspiring enough. On top of it, they were all predators — Shifters, who took the form of carnivores, were typically more powerful, more dominant, in a way and so, there had not been teams or groups of any sort, that had more, than two or at best, three predators on one team. Any more, than three carnivore Shifters and bloodshed was the result.

Yet somehow... _somehow,_ the six of them had managed. (But then again, Sei and Tetsu were amazing and terrifying like that. Between the two of them, it had been easy to keep a low profile and to curb their instincts.)

And as time went by —as they came to know one another, they slowly came to see each other like _family,_ because their own home lives were messed up to various degrees. And so, they bonded — they formed _a pack_ , a second family. Scents and soul bonds all over between the six of them and as their trust in each other deepened, they didn’t even need to see, where the others were on the court. They could just smell (or otherwise sense) each other. Not to mention, that their overwhelming scents sent any other Shifter running, with their tails between their legs —sometimes _literally,_ even before the matches started.

Which Aomine mused, was _funny_.

Because even today, people just _rumoured_ all of them being Shifters... and their animal forms were still, even after all this time, a mystery to the world. Which was _also_ funny, because they’d been likened to the very animals they Shifted into and people had yet to figure it out. _Seriously, how stupid the entire planet could be?_ (But then again, Teikō had been a strict school. Most of the accomplished athletes from the school, whichever sport was involved, were mostly Shifters. But Teikō ingrained strong discipline into them and did not allow them to Shift during games, even partially. So Aomine, just like the rest of his siblings, learned to use his heightened senses to the fullest without Shifting.)

Tōō often said he had no self-control or any sort of check on his impulses, but they were very, _very_ wrong. If he had not had a check on his impulses, he would have Shifted several times already. _And he had yet to Shift to any degree, in front of his team or on the court._ So fuck Wakamatsu and his comments about no self-control. The blonde didn’t know what he was talking about.

The only one, who wasn’t a Shifter among them, was Satsuki. But... that didn’t mean she’d been excluded. Quite the opposite. The fact, that the two of them were so close, had caught the others’ attention early on. And then, Tetsu came along and he became inseparable with the teal. And where he was, there was Satsuki. So Tetsu and Tsuki had become equally inseparable and soon, she wormed her way into the others’ hearts as well.

And so, she had become the luckiest Enigma _ever_. Not only carrying one scent on her but five (because Haizaki hadn’t even been allowed into three feet radius of Tsuki,) and later, when Ryō stumbled into their pack, she carried _six_. Non-Shifters rarely ever bonded with more than two Shifters... so yes.

She was probably the first one on the planet, or at the very least, the first/only one in Japan. (Sure, back at Teikō, at first, there had been rumours, that she had become a Mated Pair with him or even Sei, to be the lead manager of the whole Club... but the five of them had quickly shut down those rumours. _Read:_ showed just enough of their animal side, for everyone to know, they were carnivores and if anyone ever dared to harm Momoi Satsuki _in any way_ , they would get torn apart. _No mercy._ )

 _Sigh._ It was so, _so_ bad to be so far away from his Bondmates. Again... remind him, _why_ had they split up? (Ah, _yes_ , because Teikō were being jerks and they would have revealed their Shifted forms and some nasty, personal or otherwise damaging secrets too if they hadn’t split apart.) Not that their animal forms were a _secret_ , no. It was just... well, people didn’t know what they were. It added to their mystique, prestige and power, as a team.

And well, they were all kinda reserved about Shifting— it was something personal, a question of trust between them, plus the strict teachings of Teikō about control were hard to get rid of,— unless it was something _very important._ (Or, if they were 100% sure no unwanted people were around. If it had just been the seven of them, they had sometimes relaxed in their second skin, Satsuki snuggling up with Atsu, stroking the fur of the one closest to her.)

Honestly, Aomine didn’t even remember the last time he had allowed his ears and tail to pop up, much less allow a complete Shift. Sure, he did it at home or with Satsuki... but not around Tōō. And the kami knew he spent too much time with his new — annoying— team. And whenever he was excited, he just wanted to Shift. But the disciplinary lessons and the sharp words rang clearly in his ears even today, so he did not Shift.

Or when he sensed one of his Bondmates, other than Satsuki. Like now.

It didn’t take much for his nose to catch the soft scent — vanilla, pine and _cool power._ A sort of subtle power, that water had. It seemed calm and unthreatening until the dark currents dragged you to the depths, from where you could not escape.

Only one person from their pack smelled like vanilla and “water“.

 _“Tetsu,”_ he said, perking up, hands already itching to allow his claws to show. Next to him, Satsuki smiled.

“You smell him?“ she asked, surprised and excited at the same time. He hummed.

“Smell?“ Imayoshi asked, perking up at the word choice, studying him a bit closer, “So... it’s true, that the _Kiseki_ are Shifters, then?“

Aomine frowned at the Third Year. “What it’s to you?“ he growled, baring his teeth, aware of the fact, that they were getting longer and that perhaps even his eyes had changed to something more feline.

Imayoshi blinked at him, taken aback, holding up his hands placatingly. “Calm down, Aomine-kun. I did not mean to imply anything nasty. Just curious.”

The smell turned stronger and his insides were screaming at him to _find his Bondmate._ _ **Gods.** _He hadn’t even realised how bad it was to be Bonded while being separated by such great distances. (And he and Tetsu were pretty _close_ to each other, still in the same city and all... How could the _others_ take it? Take the nagging, the longing...)

He picked up the sound of excited, but still somewhat subdued conversations, along with the rhythmic clatter of feet. A group was nearing them — another team, most likely— and _Tetsu was there._ With them. He spotted them soon enough, dressed in their school colours — white, black and red.

He noticed that the team were rather closely knit, but they were not Bonded at all. It was a redhead, whom he noticed next to Tetsu, who sparked his interest. He was a Shifter, who let his scent all out, not even bothering to hide his status from others. Huh, rather _open_... even for a carnivore. Because of the scent, he was surely a carnivore. And he was surely _not_ native. No Japanese ever let their scent out so blatantly, not even if they were carnivores. The guy reeked of _wildness_.

Another cat, Aomine noted absently. Huh, Tetsu was a big cat magnet, it seemed. First him, then Sei and now this guy.

Their eyes met, light blue on dark blue and Tetsu stumbled. The team slowed, looking at him. “Kuroko?“ the redhead called.

Aomine’s lips curled upwards into a pleased, relived smirk. “Tetsu,” he called, the nickname coming out, like a growl.

Tetsu smiled and Aomine noticed, that his nails had lengthened into claws as well. “Daiki.” his eyes then flickered to their sister. “Tsuki.”

The teams were now starting, studying them intensely. Aomine noticed a brown-haired girl staring at them — at _him_ — with wide-eyed. “E-eh, Kuroko-kun... did... do you mean... _Aomine_ Daiki?“

Aomine growled and he felt his body Shift. The teams were looking at him with wide eyes, seeing his claws, tail and ears appear. He could feel the flabbergasted and confused looks of Tōō and their coach, but Aomine ignored them.

Tetsu was fighting it with more success, than him, but that was no surprise. Tetsu needed complete control over his emotions and instincts, to be able to use Misdirection. Oh, with how the teal usually was... it wasn’t a surprise, that he had good control. But after Sei helped him perfect Misdirection, Tetsu had been the prime example of self-control and stoicism. [ _The perfect student,_ in Teikō’s opinion and note the sarcasm.] Sei could be like that too, but even the redhead was likelier to Shift in a distressing situation, than Tetsu.

“Yes, him.“ Tetsu answered, as his ears popped up. The teams _stared_.

Aomine growled and let himself Shift, throwing self-control out the window for the first time in months, maybe a year. They were no longer in Teikō. He was free to Shift if he wanted — Teikō could not control them now, not completely.

When had he left his scent on Tetsu? It had been so long ago and Aomine could barely sense Tetsu’s scent on his fur. Gods, how he missed his brother. He landed on all fours and Sakurai squeaked in fright.

„A-Aomine-san is a _panther?!_ ”

He stalked closer and Seirin all backed away. Tetsu was smiling now, but still only partly Shifted. Aomine stopped in front of his Shadow, curling his tail around one of his wrists. Tetsu scratched his head with a clawed hand, just where the teal knew he liked it, his ears twitching. “Nice to see you again, Daiki.”

He growled in acknowledgement and then used his body to tackle the teal to the ground. “Aomine! No violen—!” his coach called, his sentence cut off by the foreign Shifter, who had been next to Tetsu.

“Hey, _get off_ my partn—!” his sentence was cut off, as Tetsu Shifted fully, pushing back.

“ _Eh?_ Kuroko’s a wolf?“ someone from Tetsu’s team called, but Aomine ignored them, as they snapped and pawed at each other excitedly, playfully.

“No fighting is—!“ his coach called again, obviously wary, but Satsuki, ever the mediator, stepped up.

“It’s alright, Harasawa-kantoku. Dai and Tetsu are packmates. Tetsu played on the First String of Teikō too...”

“Neh? You mean that the _midget’s_ one of the Miracles?“ Wakamatsu asked.

Aomine stiffened and the next second, he separated from Tetsu, leaping towards his Vice-captain with a roar. Tōō jumped from his path with cries of fright and shock, Wakamatsu’s eyes filled with utter terror... but before he could reach the annoying bastard, Tetsu was there, partly Shifted again, clawed hands grabbing his paws, pushing back. “ _Daiki_ ,” he growled warningly.

Aomie Shifted again, clawed hands fisted, fangs bared at the blonde. “Did you just _hear_ what he...!”

“I did.” Tetsu started, ever-calm, but his posture screamed danger, showing just how displeased he was with the degrading comment, “However, you know the rules. A Shifter attacking a Non-Shifter will get you, at best, benched. Something as trivial, as an insult, is _not_ worth it.”

Aomine snarled at Wakamatsu again, who took a step back before he sighed, flicked his tail in irritation and turned his attention to the Phantom instead. Dark, bluish-grey ears peeked out from teal locks, his brother’s face calm. He grunted softly and hugged the other instead, ignoring everyone.

“Nice to see you again. Where have you disappeared off to?“

Tetsu laughed softly, draping his arms around his waist in a loose hug. “I hadn’t disappeared _anywhere_ , Dai. It’s just... settling into a new school and team is a bit messy, you know.”

“You could have at least left a message in the chat, Tetsu!” Satsuki huffed annoyed, marching up to them, glaring at the teal. They both stood and Tetsu’s ears twitched in discomfort. _Ha!_ At least for once, Satsuki was scolding someone else, not him.

Tetsu hummed, as he hugged her. “Ah, sorry, Nē-san.“ he sniffed Tsuki and growled softly. “Ah, has someone been giving you trouble _again_?“

She pulled away, shaking her head. “N-no. Dai keeps them away, besides, we have most classes together and I _do_ manage Tōō’s Basketball Club.”

Aomine frowned. “Neh, you still suck at lying, Satsuki.”

“I’m _not_ lying!” she fumed.

Aomine rolled his eyes. “You could have said something.”

She huffed. “You already skip practice one too many times, Nī-san. If you’re seen fighting with another Shifter from another Club, that’s going to be a _big_ problem. Besides, your scent is all over me anyway... so it’s not... too bad.”

Aomine growled and Tetsu couldn’t hold it back either. Jealous bastards, pushing their luck. “ _When_ was that, Tsuki?“ he asked, tone filled with cool, destructive anger. “I can tell, that it’s more than one and they’re not bothered by Dai’s scent all over you.”

Satsuki twitched and then sighed. “Twins. It’s the twins from the Soccer Club. And... you know, since we skipped our last meeting... kinda it’s just Dai’s scent over me by now. Not _all_ of yours, so...“ she shrugged again, but it was obvious she was uncomfortable. “... you know. They’re not that intimidated.”

Tetsu huffed and tugged her into a hug, holding her close. She huffed. “ _Ne_ , Tetsu... your ears are tickling...“

“Do you want me to Shift _fully?_ “ he asked, tone deadpan, but there was an undercurrent of challenge, “I can leave my scent all over you differently if hugs don’t suffice, _sister_.”

She huffed and hugged him instead. “Neh, don’t. We could just meet up during weekends more often? Two carnivores’ scents all over me, should be okay. I may be used to six...“ she shrugged, “but two is okay, too. And I’m less likely to get stared at, with my clothes smelling just the _two_ of you. Definitely would be less likely to spark a rumour, than our Teikō situation.”

Aomine snorted. “Don’t be _ridiculous_ , Tsuki. The six of us are a pack and you’re a part of it.”

Tetsu hummed. “Agreed. Speaking of scents and packs... has either of you managed to contact Sei these days? If we can’t contact him, that usually means he’s torturing someone... and most likely, that’s his new team. And from what I know from Shin... only one member of the First String is a Shifter. Well, one _plus_ Sei.”

Aomine snorted. “I bet it’s one of the Generals, no? Three of the five attend Rakuzan, don’t they?”

Tsuki nodded. “Yes, they do. The five of them may be well-known, but only two of them are Shifters. And one Shifter attends Rakuzan. Hayama Kotarō, I think.”

Aomine grunted. “Yeah... whatever his name is.“ he said, ears flicking in disinterest, “And no, I hadn’t heard about him. Ryō called a few times and he’s being whiny about being so far away... but it’s honestly starting to bother _me_ too.“ he murmured

Tetsu huffed, a tiny frown on his face. “We missed out on our last meeting... so, no wonder. As strong as your and Sei’s scents are... even _those_ are starting to fade and it’s bothersome indeed.”

They paused wondering what to do. Properly marking one another again would have to wait, until they could all meet up, but surely, it wouldn’t hurt to at least have Tetsu’s scent over him? That would at least help him sleep better at night.

Even before Tetsu or Tsuki could speak again, he Shifted fully, lazily worming himself between them, his fur brushing against their clothes. Tetsu shook his head exasperatedly. “Now, aren’t you impatient? Some things never change, _ne_ , brother?”

He growled, glaring at his Shadow and the next moment, he tackled the other to the ground again. This time, Tetsu expected it and managed to Shift even before he reached the ground and the next moment, they were rolling on the floor growling playfully.

Gods, how good it felt to just let go of his restraints and be himself, with his Shadow and brother right there. They kept wriggling on the floor, the others backing as far, as they could, but Aomine wasn’t focused on them. It was just nice to have at least one of his brothers here, to fool around with.

He didn’t know how long they kept fooling around, but by the time they were done, Tetsu’s scent was all over him and vice versa and they sat backs against the wall, ears and tails still visible. Tetsu was leaning against him and Aomine had his head against the wall huffing a little until he felt a sudden pain in his ear...

 _“Otōto...!”_ he growled, realising Tetsu had bitten him and he shoved the other away, batting at the canine with his tail, which earned an amused chuckle in return.

”Eh, I’d say, I’m sorry... but I’m not. Wanted to do that ever since Ryō managed to tackle you in the Third Year...” he admitted, amusement rolling off of him in waves. Whenever they were Shifted, it was much easier to detect his Shadow’s real feelings, even if he tried keeping a blank expression.

Aomine growled rolling his eyes, “I’m _so_ going to give a piece of my mind to him about giving you ideas.“

“Sure... sure.“ Tetsu murmured lazily, snuggling closer.

“ _Ne_ , I want to snuggle too!” Tsuki murmured and the next moment, she was in his lap, snuggling close to Tetsu.

Tetsu didn’t even twitch, just allowed her to settle and reach for his ear like she always did. That was her favourite pastime. Scratching their ears — not that either of them minded, it felt _nice_ ... but damn him, if he was ever going to admit that to Satsuki. Only Atsu and Ryō admitted they liked when she did it... but he _certainly_ won’t. He still had his masculinity and pride, _thank you very much_.

Aomine glanced to the side and noticed, that Tetsu’s eyes were closed and he was completely relaxed, his ear twitching from time to time, as Tsuki scratched it, just where she knew he liked it.

“So... Tōō Gauken, huh? What’s it like?“

Aomine shrugged, reaching for his brother’s tail. Tetsu growled as he tugged at it playfully and blindly pawed at his ear. Aomine grunted, as his Shadow’s claws pulled at his hair, but even if it was somewhat uncomfortable, it was a welcome sort of contact. He couldn’t recall, when had they allowed their instincts to take over the last time and play like children, even if only for a moment.

“Boring.“ he murmured, “Kinda miss you. Always expecting one of your nifty passes out of nowhere, only to realise I can’t even _smell_ you...“ he grunted, “ _Grah!_ How can he others stand the distance? It’s driving me mad.”

“Neh, you’re just _whiny_ , Dai.“ Tsuki murmured, “Besides, it bothers you so much because your Bond is the strongest with Tetsu.”

“I’m not whining, Satsuki.“ he growled back.

“Actually...“ Tetsu murmured, “I kinda miss it too. Miss Sei’s expert playmaking. And Ryō’s pranks...”

Aomine snorted in amusement, recalling a particular one, that involved Shin’s training clothes and a pack of pink glitter. “Aye. I swear... I even miss Sei’s scolding, when those happened. And Atsu and his bottomless stomach...”

“Or Shin with his daily lucky items...“ Tsuki supplied thoughtfully, shifting a little to look at him. Aomine hummed in agreement, glancing at his Shadow.

“Free time?“

Tetsu seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding and slowly standing up. Tsuki pouted, but they both stood anyway, as Tetsu answered. “I guess there’s going to be a street tournament next weekend. We could sign up if the others can make it? And you could come over this weekend.”

Aomine grinned, pulling the Phantom into a quick hug. “Sounds like a plan.”

Tetsu nodded and ruffled Tsuki’s hair. He tugged off his wrist warmers and slid them on her hands. “Here, just so you have something, that has my scent. It should help with it sticking faster.“

She beamed. “You’re a life-saver, Nī-chan.”

Tetsu rolled his eyes a little. “Now, no need to be overdramatic. Besides, Dai is around you more often, so if anyone’s a life-saver, that’s him.”

Aomine sighed and they shared a look. “Should go... or we’ll never make it home...” he murmured, as he reached into his duffel bag. He tugged out his Tōō sweater — as he chose not to wear it, his jacket was enough,— and tossed it to Tetsu. His brother caught it expertly and in turn, gave him a black scarf.

Aomine raised an eyebrow. “It’s not _that_ cold yet...”

Tetsu shrugged. “Nope, but if I can’t sleep, you know not even fur as thick as Atsu has, could keep me warm. I forgot it in the bag and now I don’t mind it all that much.”

Aomine shrugged and loosely draped the fabric around himself. Ah, the soft scent of vanilla and pine was ever-so-calming. Tetsu draped his Tōō-coloured sweater around his shoulder with a soft, content huff and heaved a sigh. “Who’s calling Sei for a meeting?”

Aomine raised his hands, taking a step back. “ _Not_ me. If I have to call Ryō —and you always ditch Ryō to me, I’m not calling him. The last thing I need in my life is for our pack leader to bite my head off because I disturbed _something important_ with my call.”

“You know he wouldn’t do that.“ Tsuki murmured.

“Oh, but he certainly _could_ ,“ Aomine said, throwing her a look, “and he did threaten to do it a few times. Besides, Tetsu is his favourite. Well, Tetsu and Atsu, if it’s about pampering someone, so why should _**I** _call him? I’ll call Ryō. You can call Shin and Sei will surely inform Atsu.”

Tetsu blinked in surprise and then nodded. “Sounds like a plan. But don’t forget — the street tournament.”

Aomine rolled his eyes. “Sure, sure.“ he raised a fist, “Good thing we met. Weekend, then?”

Tetsu bumped his fist to his and nodded. “Yes. I’ll be waiting. Take care, till then.”

Tsuki gave one last bone-crushing hug to Tetsu before they decided it was fine to split up. Content with the fact, that Tetsu’s scent lingered around them, he grabbed his sister by the shoulder and steered her away from Seirin.

Aomine smiled slightly, ears flicking contently. Tetsu was okay and safe. And they finally found a chance to meet during the weekend and do nothing but play basketball, fool around and eat. Yep, that sounded like the perfect weekend with his siblings.

(And the following weekend, _when all their pack would come_ to participate in a streetball tournament... well, that sounded even _better_.)

* * *

“So... you’re a wolf.“ Kagami said long after they left Tōō behind, almost at their bus.

Kuroko glanced at him, aware of the many eyes on him. He had been with Seirin for months now and he hadn’t revealed his form to them — although, he noted to himself, he had come close to Shifting during that Kaijō-Seirin match, where he’d gotten injured. Not only because of his injury but because he’d been so relieved to see Ryō. Ryō had almost Shifted in distress after he’d been injured... but the harsh disciplinary lessons from Teikō still lingered in the back of their minds, although he smelled the blonde’s conflicted feelings after he returned to the court. It filled the gym, making the two other Shifters present — Kagami and Kasamatsu, to be precise,— very uncomfortable.

“I am.“ he stated simply.

For a moment, there was silence between them all, but Kuroko could tell the team had a thousand questions.

“He was one of the _Kiseki_...“ Kagami started again, “but... I thought you broke up?”

“Daiki is — was my Light.“ he stated, causing Kagami’s eyes to go wide, “And we just split up. We’re _still_ a pack. So... different teams or not, they’re still my family, in a way.”

“If... you’re still... friend with them, why go to different schools?“ Hyūga-sempai asked him, looking at him in confusion trough his glasses.

He looked at the older player, contemplating his answer for a moment. “Because that was the safe thing to do. And while our leader could sometimes seem... harsh, to people, who do not know him for real, all he ever wanted for us to stay safe.”

He hated even the reminder of Teikō — he hated, how much the school haunted them even now when they no longer wore the white-blue jersey. They had hoped to _forget_ , but it was easier said than done and all seven of them knew it. Teikō had torn them apart, only because the leadership didn’t want any other school to gain fame, matching theirs — even if it was a High School and so, technically would not be a “rival“ to Teikō,— by having the (in)famous _Kiseki no Sedai_ wearing their colours. So, somehow —trough bribes and manipulation, most likely— the school had convinced their parents, to choose different schools for them all. And so, the strongest team, _a pack_ fell apart, all of them struggling every single day. Struggling with the mental strain of being so far apart, only barely finding time and chance to meet up, to soothe their nerves, before they went mad with the longing and pain...

“What...” Aida tried, but Kuroko cut him off.

“That is _all_ you have to know, _coach_.“ Kuroko stated coolly. “Please _do not_ mention Teikō ever again.” and then, he hurried his steps, to leave them behind. He would not be able to take their questioning, so it was best if he made clear, that he never wanted to hear _that_ name again.

Seirin stared after their Phantom player in bewilderment. What was this all about?

* * *

Meanwhile, Tōō were trying to get some information from their Ace and manager, just like Seirin. They were, after all, just as curious about this odd situation.

“I thought the _Kiseki_ had split up?“ Imayoshi asked and Aomine threw him a look, “I mean... were you a pack? But if yes, why...”

“We split up, as a _team_.“ he stated, tone scratching. By now, his tail and ears had disappeared — a minute or so after Tetsu had left, Teikō’s old training kicked in again, “The Captain did not force us to severe our Pack Bond.”

“Why not go to the same school, then?“ his coach inquired, seemingly truly flabbergasted by their choice to go on their separate ways, now that this new piece of information was in his grasp.

“Because going our separate ways,“ Tsuki murmured, still not letting go of him, not that he minded all that much, “was part of a deal we made.“

 _A deal with Teikō_ , because the influential bastards had way too much say in everything, Aomine thought with a scowl.

“A deal?“ Susa repeated surprised.

Aomine growled at him, flashing his canines at the older. “The _Kiseki_ is _our pack_ and that is all you have to know. It’s a private business, so _stay out of it_.“

Then, the two of them split, marching away and Tōō could only watch in silence. Imayoshi readjusted his glasses, studying the two ex-Teikō students’ retreating forms. “Ah... so there’s more to the _Kiseki no Sedai,_ then we had first assumed...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME EXTRA NOTES FOR THIS AU:
> 
>  **Non-Shifter:** the ordinary humans of society  
>  **Shifters:** humans, who can take the form of various animals. They can either shift partially, so only ears/tails/talons show on their human bodies or they can take the full form of one specific animal. Even in completely human form, their senses are sharper, than a Non-Shifter’s. In half-Shifted state, their physical attributes change, to be closer to that of the animal they can Shift into. In complete animal form, they still maintain the ability to think/judge situations, as a human, but their insticts are much stonger, than otherwise, so they are likelier to act in an animalistic way, rather than think, like a human. They are generally split in two groups: “carnivores“ and “herbivores”. Carnivores are generally more dominant/aggressive/protective, compared to herbivores.  
>  **Enigma:** Non-Shifter humans, who have a friendship/family bond with a Shifter. It is _unusual_ for this person to have more than two different scents on them, but they _may _have more scents.  
>  **Bondmates:** Shifters, who have left their scent marks on each other and thus are considered “a pack“ if the leader(s) of the group is/are carnivores, the group is called “a herd“, if the leading Shifter(s) is/are herbivores. “Bond“ and “Bondmate“ is strictly a platonic/friendship/family-like relationship between two or more Shifters. Bondmates can be as far from each other, as they want/need to be, but long distances for extended periods of time cause discomfort on various levels to all parties involved. (The Bond can be broken forcefully, by the leader of the pack/herd or consensually by all members, but it always leaves mental scars behind. Therefore, all Shifters are cautious to form Bonds and they are even more cautious in breaking them.)  
>  **Mated pair:** Two Shifters, who are romantically/sexually involved with each other. They are never far from one another, as great distance for too long causes extreme pain. (Shifter and Non-Shifter can also have this involvement, but some Shifters look down on those, who chose Non-Shifter partner. For a Non-Shifter to marry/mate a Shifter is considered very lucky/an honour.)  
>  **About Teikō:** the school had a strong winners mentality, just like in canon, but here, they also ingrained military-like discipline into the students, who were part of sport clubs, to stop them from Shifting in distress/exhaustion during training and matches, because whenever someone Shifts to their complete animal form, the player has to be taken out of the game. Also, they honed the Shifters’ senses trough grueling training, to use them to the fullest, without Shifting even partially, because when they are Shifted (half or full, it does not matter), people tend to let their instincts take over and make hasty decisions— which might result in losing the match—, which did not correlate with the school’s strict wievs on winning.__
> 
> In symbolism, _panthers_ mean (among other things) awareness, power, protection and passion. Panther fits Aomine not only because of in-canon comparison, but because he is often solitary and queit. He has good awareness, not only on the court, but outside, as he notices the flaws, why Kurko cannot seem to shoot. And when he tells Kagami, that "his light is too dim" for Kuroko, that can be a show of possessiveness/protectiveness.  
> In symbolism, _wolves_ mean (among other things) well-developed sixth sense, self-control, balance, vigilance. Kuroko is very vigilant and observant, otherwise he would not be able to use his style and is calm/balanced most of the time. Also, they are pack animals, which fits with Kuroko´s teamwordk/friendship mentality, but they are also sometimes solitary/mysterious, which points to the secrets Kuroko keeps in this AU (like how the pack Bond isn´t broken). Also, wolves are protective of their own/aggressive in certain situations and Kuroko has shown, that his anger is not something to be underestimated (in canon, while playing against Kirisaki Daiichi).  
> 


	2. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕠𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕖

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the Winter Cup — and Kise injures himself during Kaijō’s match against Fukuda. Haizaki turns up to harass him. Kaijō are confused, wary and somewhat helpless... until Kuroko appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like in my other stories, italics section with a bigger space means it is flashback.

Kise smiled at his Captain, as Kaijō helped him down from the court. Damn it. His injury from earlier hadn’t healed completely... why _the Hell_ did he even think, he could get away with copying Daicchi so easily? Daicchi was a feline, fast and agile. He had a sort of agility Kise himself did not possess and on top of it, the panther was a master of streetball.

 _‘Note to self, be more careful when copying the others...‘_ he thought absentmindedly. Perhaps he should call Seicchi or Satsucchi and ask for training tips? Now, that he knew he could copy his siblings, he would have to step up his training, if he didn’t want to be injured all the time. Any more serious injuries and he could throw his basketball career out the window.

Kaijō, especially Kasamatsu, was eyeing him sharply. “Are you alright, Kise?“

The blonde nodded but forced Moriyama to stop and leaned against the wall, to try and catch his breath. On top of the near-unbearable amount of pain, his skin was itching. His instincts were all over the place and he could feel the sting of his nails turning into claws... _No._ He _won’t_ Shift.

“I’m fine, sempai, nothing to worry about.”

Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow sceptically. His Captain, just like him, was a Shifter — although, he was a herbivore. But still. Shifter could always sense another Shifter when they were on the verge of changing forms. And Kasamatsu was already in half-form anyway, his antlers showing. Even like this, the appendages were beautiful, that much Kise will admit, at least to himself. But Kasamatsu looked even more magnificent, in his complete form — a stag, tall and proud, just like his Captain was even as a human, demanding respect and attention. But then again, stags were dangerous in their own way, despite being herbivores. Kise was sure, that if Kasamatsu wanted, he could throw a smaller predator pretty far...

“You lie badly when you focus on something else.“ Kasamatsu deadpanned, eyes narrowing.

Kise took a deep breath, the old disciplinary lessons from Teikō hanging above his head too strongly, to let himself slip. He tampered down his instincts and flashed a strained smile at the other. “I’ll be fin—”

“Ahha, still being the _weakling_ as you are, Ryōta?“ a scratching voice growled from outside of his team’s circle. A voice he was all too familiar with.

Kise’s brown eyes narrowed, as he looked up. _No_. Not _him_ — he was injured and holding himself from Shifting was problematic enough. “ _Piss off_ , Haizaki.“ he growled, flashing his fangs at the other. His fangs he could show. Kaijō knew he was a carnivore, so that was fine.

Kaijō’s eyes narrowed on the dark-haired player. “What are you doing here?“ Kasamatsu asked sharply, “You are not welc—”

“Sempai, _enough_.“ he growled at the other.

Deer and... Haizaki never fit into a sentence, that much Kise remembered, from their time in Teikō. The last Deer Shifter they’d stumbled upon, a new student, who had transferred and joined the Basketball Club, had almost been torn apart by Haizaki after the poor lad missed a pass. If it hadn’t been for Seicchi and Tetsucchi stumbling into the Second String gym just when they did... Kise would rather not dwell, on what might have happened. As much as some herbivore Shifters were wary of carnivores — understandable reaction, really,— the guy had practically thrown himself at the newcomers’ feet in thanks after Haizaki had scurried off. However, despite his gratitude towards Tetsu and Sei for saving him (and despite the teal’s encouraging words), the lad had quit and a few weeks later had transferred yet again.

So yes, Kise was wary in allowing Haizaki anywhere near his sempai. Kasamatsu was a good Captain, who cared for the team and led them expertly. He was someone the team could rely on and Kise cherished that. But for that very reason, Kise now stood between his current Captain and his ex-teammate. Kasamatsu was the best sempai one could ask for and Kise _knew_ he could be difficult sometimes. (He _missed_ his packmates, so _excuse him_.)

But Kasamatsu put up with his moods and handled them with grace. And he _didn’t judge_. Kise cherished that the most in the Deer Shifter. He never asked unwanted questions and he never judged. So now, Kise decided, _now_ was the time to pay his sempai’s patience and care back. And that meant _keeping Haizaki away from Kasamatsu at all costs._

He may be injured, but he could still bite, even if it meant revealing his animal form to Kaijō. He growled at Haizaki. “Leave, Haizaki. We’ve no business with you.“

Haizaki growled back, showing his fangs and claws. Kise stiffened at the silent challenge and the other smirked. “Ah, scared aren’t you, _pup_? Seijūrō and Tetsuya are not here to save you now...“ he laughed scratchingly, “Oh, sorry! _I forgot!_ They _won’t come_ , because your Bond is now _broken_...”

Kise growled, his eyes narrowing. Despite his best efforts, to keep his instincts at bay, his claws and fangs now appeared fully, along with his tail and ears. He flattened his ears against his skull in a warning. His skin slowly changed too, to reflect his fur’s colourful patterns. Anger and pain mixed into a scorching inferno within him, making it harder and harder to resist the Shift.

Kaijō gaped and hissed, looking at him, his animal traits more distinct than ever before. He had never shown his full form to his new team. Teikō’s disciplinary lessons were way too... _fresh_ in his mind, just a few months away from the school.

Haizaki snarled and Shifted. (Haizaki had always been violent and had never cared about Teikō’s policies, had always taken more punishment, than most of them, for not keeping himself in check. In the end, biting a teacher had resulted in him being kicked out of the school altogether, just a little after Seicchi ejected him from the Club.) In the place of the tall player now stood a dark-furred carnivore on fours, its fur as black as night, the sides silver, reflecting his natural hair colour. The wolverine flashed its fangs and stalked closer. Kise growled, ready to Shift and pounce, if needed, to protect his team...

“If I were you, _Shōgo_ , I would _not_ take another step.“ a cool tone warned from another direction.

Kise stood straighter at that tone. Haizaki had always smelt like ashes, musk and blood. A combination that made him sick and made most herbivores hightail it out of the silver-haired male’s vicinity. But this second smell was something he welcomed. Vanilla, pine and fresh rainwater.

The wolverine stopped, as Tetsucchi appeared. He looked entirely human, save for his fangs and claws. Not even his ears and tail were out.

Haizaki hissed and growled, at seeing Tetsucchi, taking a cautious step backwards. Tetsucchi growled, _growled for real_ and took another step forwards. “ _Begone Shōgo_ and do not even _think_ about coming after Ryōta again. If you do, I will have no qualms _tearing_ you apart.”

Haizaki threw them all a dark, degrading look, swiping his paw in the air threateningly. Tetsucchi moved forward, snapping his fangs at the wolverine. Haizaki took another step back, before turning around and running away.

Tetsucchi growled again, deep and dark, as he watched the other run away. “Do not forget my threat, Shōgo, for _I won’t._ Try approaching my apprentice again and I’ll give your prepared hide to Satsuki, as a birthday gift!”

Kise relaxed slightly, as teal turned towards them. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and his animalistic features were gone in a second. Yep. Typical of the teal-haired player. Perfect control, just like Seicchi. Tetsu eyed him and then glanced at Kaijō before making a gesture to their locker room.

“Get inside.“ he commanded. Kise nodded hurriedly and scurried in, just as he’d been told. Tetsucchi was in a bad mood and saying “ _no”_ to him, would be a very bad idea. (There’s been a reason, why Tetsuccchi had become the Captain of the lower Strings. Had certainly learned his tricks from Seicchi...) Kaijō seemed to sense the same thing, without him having to say it, because his new teammates —along with their coach,— scurried into the locker room quietly.

Tetsucchi closed the door behind them, looking at him. “Shift.“ he said simply.

Kise blinked, taken aback. “But... they hadn’t seen...“ he gestured at Kaijō. Tetsucchi sighed with a soft hum.

“I guessed that. But we’ll have to look at your injury and it will be better that way. Not to mention, that you’re on the verge of it anyway. Trying to hold it back now, will just cause more harm and you _know_ it. You will be with them for three years — self-control or not, one day you’ll slip anyway and they’ll know.“ he looked at Kasamatsu then. “Besides, you already have a Shifter on the team.”

Kasamatsu-sempai’s eyes were narrowed in suspicion. “ _Carnivore_.”

Tetsucchi hummed. “All six of us are, Kasamatsu-san. Why look at me like that then? You may not have seen Ryōta before, but you’ve _always_ known he’s one... or at least, suspected, because the rumours of our team are still out there, despite the fact, that we’ve split up.” Kise huffed, as Tetsucchi looked at him, approaching slowly. Their eyes met again. “May I have a look at it, Ryōta?“

Kise’s ears twitched a bit, but then he took a breath and relaxed. Slowly, he felt the tenseness escape his body, like water flowing through a sieve. But with the tenseness leaving and with him being relatively safe, his self-control also slipped. Despite Naoto’s words echoing in his skull— _“You’re more human, than a beast, act like it. Those who allow their animalistic side to take over, are not fit to be Teikō’s students, much less be on the Basketball Club. Victory comes first and that can only be achieved if you play with a clear head!”—_ he Shifted anyway.

He felt his body change and a moment later, he landed on all fours, only to whine pitifully, as he put pressure on his injured leg. “Eh? Wh(a)t so(r)t of animal...?“ Kobori asked.

Tetsucchi glanced at him. “African Wild Dog.“ he said and then glanced at him, “Please lay down.”

Kise did so, feeling his body relax and he laid on his side so that his brother could have a look at his injured leg. Tetsucchi gave him a look and then gently prodded at the injured limb. Kise whined and flattened his ears against his head, but turned away, doing his best not to snap at his brother. A moment later Tetsucchi pulled away, giving him an apologetic back scratch and Kise couldn’t help, but relax into the touch, shifting closer to the teal.

“It’s not broken, but you certainly won’t play for a while.“

Kise whined at that, but the teal’s serious expression didn’t change. “I learned enough of these sort of things from Shin, to know, that if you don’t let it heal properly... you may never be able to play at the level you are now, Ryōta.”

Kise growled, but lowered his head onto his front paws in acceptance, his tail twitching in annoyance. He barked softly and Tetsucchi nodded, his eyes narrowed and cold. “Oh, _I will_ , you can rest assured,” he said.

“Eh, you can _understand_ him? I mean, _fully_?“ Nakamura asked.

Tetsucchi didn’t even turn towards his teammates, as he answered. “Of course.” Tetsucchi eyed him and gently rubbed the spot Kise loved, on his back. He let his tongue loll out and wagged his tail contently, as the teal continued his ministrations. The contact was working wonders — it was calming and it made him happy. _Plus_ , it will leave some of Tetsucchi’s scent on him too. Kise almost whined as the teal pulled his hand away. But in the spur of the moment decision, not caring that Kaijō was right there, he licked the teal’s hand. It would only be fair if he left some of his scent on the teal as well.

Tetsucchi relaxed, just a little afterwards and he stood up, looking at Kaijō. “He surely can’t leave now. He won’t even be able to stand up, so wait at least until he Shifts back.” he instructed, tone leaving no place for an argument, as he looked at Takeuchi-kantoku and the sempai.

Tetsucchi turned then and opened the door. Kise barked at him. _Thanks, Tetsucchi. And take care._

The teal looked at him, his face as passive as ever, but his eyes were gentle. He growled back. _Just rest and don’t worry about Haizaki._

Before Kise could answer, the teal slipped out of the locker. So, he was left with only Kaijō, who were eyeing him in interest, worry and bewilderment.

* * *

After a little nap on the locker’s floor —not that it bothered him, while he was Shifted,— Kise felt much better and when he woke up, he was already in his half-form. Seeing that he was awake, the team got ready to leave and Kasamatsu helped him stand. The blonde noted absently, that his Captain looked entirely human again. So he had rested a bit as well...

“Come now...” Kasamatsu called, tugging him towards the door, but Kise froze and dug his still-claws into the locker’s wall. The team noticed his reaction and gave him concerned looks.

“What now?“ Moriyama asked, equal parts exasperated and concerned.

Kise didn’t answer. He took a deep breath and slowly imagined his tail, ears and claws being pulled back and hidden, just the way felines pulled back their claws. He slowly relaxed his body and concentrated on his human form, just as they’d been taught in Teikō. When he opened his eyes, the world was a little less defined, meaning that all his animal characteristics had receded. Good.

His coach raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m not a Shifter... but I know that willingly hiding your animal traits is no easy feat. And you were just injured. Why force your body to...“

He shook his head. “I don’t like it when others see me in my animal form. Controlling the Shift is just a question of self-discipline. That’s all.”

_“Letting others see your animal forms, especially on the court, is a weakness.“ Matsuoka-kantoku warned them, his tone cool, “We are Teikō. You are students and representatives of Teikō. That means you do your best at all times, for we are Ever-Victorious. But victory can only be achieved through careful planning and self-discipline. That means you are not allowed to show weakness. Therefore, you are not allowed to show your animal forms. Remember never to depend on those senses. Use then to your advantage, but never depend on them. And letting others glimpse your forms before or after a game, may just ask for trouble as well, for certain Shifters will naturally feel obliged to start a fight, just as the animals they can Shift into, are natural enemies. But the inner beasts are not allowed to take over, remember that. We are humans first and we must act as such.”_

_(...)_

_“As for the players of the First String... more than two Shifts during training or a Shift during the match and you are demoted to Third String. Losing and weakness of any form are not tolerated.”_

Kaijō eyed him oddly, but Kise ignored them and wobbled towards the door. The team followed him quietly. They were already outside, walking through the parking lot towards their bus when Kasamatsu-sempai asked the dreaded question.

“I thought the _Kiseki_ had bad blood between them... the way you and Kuroko acted during our practice match against Seirin pointed to that. So why would he help you against this Haizaki? And who was he, anyway?“

Kise growled softly. There was no bad blood between the seven of them — they were still a pack. And as long as Seicchi and Tetsucchi drew breath, they would remain a pack. And sooner would Kise sell his soul, than let the pack fall apart. The pack —the _Kiseki_ was his world. He loved them like his siblings and he would not let anything happen to them. They may not play on the same team now, but _they were still a pack_.

“We don’t have bad blood between us.“ he said slowly, _’We never had, in the first place. We’re a family, after all.‘_

He paused, wondering what else should he say. “Haizaki... was the team’s Small Forward, before I joined them during the Second Year. But he’s a violent bastard, who didn’t follow rules and skipped practice. When Akashicchi realised our skills were similar, he kicked Haizaki out of the team and I was put on the First String. Haizaki hates all of us since then, but he hates _me_ the most—and Kurokocchi, because wolves and wolverines just don’t mix,— and has tried several times, to cause me trouble, before Akashicchi kicked him out. So, if we have a common enemy, despite the distance... it’s Haizaki. And Kurokocchi knew that Haizaki will come after me. Even if we had lost, he would have come after me. Kurokocchi knows how violent he is, so he stepped up before Haizaki could do anything bad.“

“I see.“ Kasamatsu murmured, “And... his behaviour... I wouldn’t have taken him for the leader type... but he gave off those sort of vibes.“

Kise chuckled at that. “Kurokocchi’s more than it meets the eye, Kasamatsu-sempai.“

“And what does that supposed to mean?“ asked Moriyama.

Kise shrugged. “Team or no team... some things about us all are classified “Kiseki“, sempai. That means, I’m not going to say anything. Kurokocchi’s... Kurokocchi and let’s leave it at that,” he said.

As they reached the bus, he climbed in, threw himself onto the nearest seat and grabbed his earphones from his bag. It will take a while, until they made it home, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kasamatsu is a _Sambar_ the third largest deer of the world, native mostly to the Indian subcontinent, South China, and Southeast Asia. Deer, among other things represents vigilance, ability to change directions quickly, which I believe fits Kasamatsu. He notices things quickly and to change “directions“/decisions is something he needs in-game, if he wants his team to win. Also, deer are composed, which Kasamatsu is, in my opinion. But the stags can also be dangerous, which would fit with his occasional lashing-out, when Kise is being too childish  
>    
> Kise is _Aftican Wild Dog/Cape Hunting Dog_. In symbolism, these animals represent strenght and love. They are compassionate, friendly, excellent communicators, social, and determined. They will do anything to hold onto their position and the people they love. Kise is bouncy/sociable and loves his teammates (especially the Miragen) very much. All things, that fit with this animal symbolism. Also, the animals themselves are pack animals and very “crafty“, hence why they are so good at survival. In the previous chapter, Aomine hinted at Kise’s pranks, which matches with this craftiness. Also a certain amount of skill/craftiness is needed in a way, for him to be able to copy others the way he does, on the court.
> 
> For Haizaki, my choice of animal is _Wolverine_. Wolverines are predators/scarvengers. Ferocious and solitary creature, which fits with Haizaki’s violent behaviour and how he looks down on the GoM. In symbolism, wolverines’ NEGATIVE traits also fit Haizaki, so I focused on those — violence, ferociousness and bravery (in this case, in the foolish/bad sense). Also, wolverines’ natural enemies are wolves... and if you ask me, I would think that the person Haizaki loaths the most (other than Kise) is Kuroko. This also fits, since Kuroko is a Wolf Shifter.
> 
> As for _communication_ between Shifters, while in animal form. They display behviour similar to the animals they Shift into, so other Shifters/humans can vaguely uderstand or at least guess, what the Shifter wants to say. However, those Shifters, who are (or were) Bonded to one another, can understand each other perfectly, as if they were speaking a human language, regardless of what animal spieces they are. Those Shifters, who are similar animals, have a better chance of understaing one another, than others, even if they are not Bonded. (Eg. a Wolf and a Dog Shifter, who are strangers, will understand each other in animal form better, than for example than strangers, who are a Wolf and a Bear or Dog and a Deer. But a Bonded Deer and Bear will understand each other perfectly from sounds and body language alike.)
> 
> As always, please leave comments and share your opinions :3


	3. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕪 𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕣

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-match, Yōsen VS Rakuzan (Inter-high Semi Finals). Murasakibara is whiny and Yōsen are helpless. Even Himuro has no idea, what to do. Good thing Akashi is nearby. And then Murasakibara gets clingy...

Himuro Tatsuya was tired. Rakuzan were damn _monsters_ , when it came to playing their matches — when Atsushi said, that his former Captain could force others to keel over on the court, Himuro had not imagined, that the former-Teikō student had meant it _literally_.

The number of times the redhead had used ankle-break to stop them, was most unnerving. Besides, there was something very, _very_ disturbing in his bi-coloured eyes, with the slightly-slitted pupils. Those eyes were almost like a... like a cat’s. Or reptile... _Whatever_. Those were the eyes of a _beast_ , not of human, of that much Himuro was certain.

And the way he spoke... _sheesh_. The redhead reeked of power, dominance and bloodthirst. An apex predator for sure. He didn’t know what (the other was goddamn good at keeping his animal traits and scent at bay and Himuro couldn’t smell the animal on him; the only thing he smelled on Akashi was _power_ ), but Akashi was a predator.

He looked at his team and noted, that they were all just as worn and somewhat dispirited, as he was. Yōsen was pretty lucky to have three Shifters on the team — himself, Liu and Atsushi. Liu had Shifted and now the panda was quietly hauling himself at the back, looking sad and angry at the same time. Himuro breathed out through his nose, long tail twitching, his steps soundless, as they arrived in their locker room.

Murasakibara had been difficult and whiny all day and Himuro had noticed, that the Miracle had been struggling with his instincts since the third quarter. He had seen the Center’s nails turn into _damn long_ claws. When the coach had asked him, if he would rather sit out —as reluctant as the offer was,— violet eyes flashed with _panic._ Atsushi had taken a deep breath and in a grand show of restraint and mental strength, he pulled his claws back and told their coach he could proceed with the game. Himuro had literally _heard_ when his Miracle partner shackled his inner animal... whatever it was.

In hindsight... he had never seen Atsushi Shift before. He _knew_ the lazy giant was a Shifter, a carnivore, he just didn’t know _what_. That was the other thing the _Kiseki no Sedai_ were so infamously famous for. Not only were they the best Middle School team in Japan, but all of them were carnivores. Something unheard of, so far. More than three carnivores on a team meant carnage... so this Akashi — or the team’s ex-coach,— had to be goddamn _intimidating,_ to stop six predators from tearing each other apart.

Despite his lazy, childlike nature, Atsushi had impressive self-control, as he had never Shifted on-court or during training before. Which he and Liu had both done, several times. Yōsen’s training was tough and as good as Himuro knew he was, his stamina had not been satisfactory. Hence why he had Shifted more than once. Luckily for him, he had managed to avoid Shifting during an official game, but he counted that as a personal win, even if he Shifted the moment the matches were over. Like now.

But Atsushi was resisting Shifting. Even now. Himuro’s eyes narrowed and he snarled at the other, standing up to walk over and flick the other with his tail. Murasakibara looked up, studied the pattern of his greyish fur for a moment and then grunted. “What now, Muro-chin? By the way, never said that before, but I probably should have... your fur looks lovely and fluffy. Somehow fits you.“ he drawled.

Himuro mewled at the praise. _Thanks._

Murasakibara raised an eyebrow, studying him and then hummed. “You smell like... snow and wet earth. And... pickles? Never smelt pickles on your before...”

He mewled again and flicked his tail. _Change._

Murasakibara made a face and as his claws appeared again, he pushed them back even before, they could grow to the previously seen impressive length.

Himuro sat down and growled. _Why not?_

“Just no.“ the giant grunted, curling in on himself. Himuro saw the shiver, that went through him and he sneezed. Some frowned, while others glanced at the Miracle in concern. Himuro huffed and poked at his knee, but Atsushi didn’t budge. Every sense Himuro had, told him, that Atsushi was struggling not to Shift. He was tired and sick. (Why had he even played, when he was sick?)

He was still giving off that strong smell of... pine. Pine, sweets and spices. With every passing minute, the scent was growing stronger. Himuro noticed, that something peeked out of his hair... but before he could have a proper look it was gone. And the same could be said about the claws. Atsushi was continuously fighting his instinct to Shift and it was causing him pain.

Himuro mewled in confusion and concern. _Why not Shift?_ He hoped the other understood him. Did he? It was possible, that Murasakibara wasn’t a feline predator, so perhaps he didn’t. But he had understood a moment ago... or was that just a guess? Or, which was also likely, Murasakibara could somewhat read felines, perhaps because a Miracle had been a feline Shifter... but was ignoring him.

Atsushi laid on his side on the bench and curled up. “I’m hungry. And... I miss Sei-chin.”

Himuro blinked and he shared a few looks with his teammates. “Who?“ their coach asked in confusion.

“Sei-chin.“ the purple-haired giant repeated, “I miss Sei-chin. Or Tet-chin. They always...“ he trailed off and made a soft sound, that was surely that of an animal’s. Himuro could not place it, but it was something between a growl and a whine.

Himuro looked at the ceiling and did his best to relax. Perhaps if he relaxed, he could Shift at least into a half-form, to probe Murasakibara for more information. His whining wasn’t helping.

It took Himuro longer, than he would have liked, to Shift into a half form. In the meanwhile, the others tried asking and threatening Murasakibara to move, because _they should be leaving_ , but the childish Center remained sprawled on the bench, still radiating that immensely powerful smell of pine, spices and sweets. His claws were half-visible and Himuro spotted some fur too — brown in colour—, but Atsushi took several deep breaths and despite his whiny, half-delirious state, he still didn’t Shift.

How the Hell did he _manage_ it?

It was obvious, that Atsushi was sick. And since he was sick, he was more exhausted after this game, than usual, but he still resisted Shifting. It was concerning. “Atsushi?“ he prompted softly. “Shouldn’t you be Shifting? You need rest, I can tell and...“ he was cut off, as the other growled at him.

“ _No_ , Muro-chin.“ he huffed, “I’m just sleepy. And starving... and _I miss Sei-chin..._ ”

Himuro took a deep breath to keep his temper in control, although he could feel his fangs and claws appearing in their full length once more. He was patient, but today, Atsushi was being unreasonably whiny and unyielding. He mewled in annoyance and despair. _Someone, anyone help!_

He doubted another feline Shifter was nearby to hear his call or that anyone, who could handle _Atsushi_ was nearby... but _damn it._

His patience was wearing thin. And Atsushi didn’t seem like he was willing to move and if he wasn’t willing to move, they would not be going anywhere.

Damn it. As if losing this match hadn’t been a big enough blow...

* * *

Akashi just barely finished changing, when he sensed the strong pull through their link. Being in a pack Bond with another Shifter, was like being tied with the other trough an invisible rope, which could be stretched as far as needed, but the farther it was, the more uncomfortable it felt. And that invisible rope conveyed the others’ feelings.

The others were pretty far away and the farther you were, the harder it was to distinguish emotions... but Atsushi’s emotions were pretty clear. _Annoyed, hungry, sleepy and clingy._ Definitely in need of a hug and need of some food. And _he was in pain_.

That made Akashi growl in discomfort. Atsushi was probably forcing his body to stay in human form, despite his weariness. The amount of weariness, that radiated trough their link, was very worrisome. He had noticed, that the Center hadn’t been in his best shape during the match. It had been oddly easy to get past his defence... which was _unusual_. Sure, he hadn’t been the _Kiseki’s_ Captian for nothing, but all his siblings/packmates/former teammates were skilled and they could pressure him in their ways, even if _he_ pressured them more when playing seriously.

And Atsushi hadn’t done so, today.

He grabbed his bag and whirled towards the door. “Sei-chan?“ Reo called, looking at him.

Akashi matched the General’s gaze for a moment, glancing at Kotarō. The blonde was still sprawled on the floor Shifted and unmoving. “I have something important to take care of. Be back by the time Kotarō is... manageable,” he said, throwing a look at the Small Forward.

He was so glad Chihiro wasn’t a Shifter. If he were, the Phantom could probably not play as much, as he played now. The silver-haired teen was good at what he was doing —Akashi would not have it otherwise,—but he would never force another to go through the inhuman control exercises they all (but mostly Tetsuya) had been forced trough, to prevent them from Shifting during practice or matches.

Before anyone could say a word, he marched out, the locker’s door falling closed behind him. He stopped for a moment, sniffing the air. It didn’t take long to catch the odd smell composed of pine and sweets. He marched right towards it and a few minutes later, he reached the locker, that Yōsen had claimed for today. The door was slightly ajar and that was enough for him to glimpse the rest of the team.

The room was full of smells. Eucalyptus and pork. An odd combination for sure. Wet earth, pickles... and then, of course, Atsushi’s distinct smell. He could also faintly smell his own and their packmates’ scents on the other, but it was fading. Ah, time to call another meeting then.

He heard the soft whine, which belonged to his packmate and opened the door, to see the Center laying on the bench, his teammates looking at him lost. Akashi noted that the two Shifters of the team were in half-form. No doubt, they’d been exhausted.

Atsushi himself was visibly struggling to keep himself in check, but it was working less and less. His claws had extended to their full length and his fur was appearing too. Akashi sighed and opened the door. It made enough noise for the team to turn their attention towards him, but before anyone could say a word, Atsushi was on his feet and clinging to him.

“Sei-chin~!”

He waited a full two minutes, but the taller’s grip wasn’t relenting one bit, which was making the situation somewhat difficult. Akashi twitched a bit and growled. Loudly. “ _Atsushi_ , please let me breathe.”

The other blinked down at him and drew back, a sheepish look on his features. “Sorry, Sei-chin.“ he grunted. Akashi’s nose twitched at the smell.

“Playing while sick. Well, that explains _why_ this match was so boring. You were more focused on not Shifting.”

The other growled and plopped onto the ground, right where he was. “Ah~ maybe. But I’m sleepy and hungry... and...“ his sentence was cut off, lost in a growl. _I missed you._

Akashi rolled his eyes a little at the oblivious and dodged behind the Center, placing his hand on the other’s back. “Neh, _don’t_ Sei-chin... You know I hate Shifting...“

Akashi leaned closer. “We’re not in Teikō anymore, Atsushi.“ he whispered, “You’re free to Shift if you wish.”

“But they hadn’t...“

“They will have to, once, anyway.“ he stated simply, pressing that spot between the shoulder blades, that always caused Shifters to lose control just long enough to take their animal form. As Atsushi Shifted, Akashi backed farther, towards the crowd of Yōsen players, to avoid being knocked over.

A minute later, a brown bear stood in his brother’s place and Yōsen’s Captain whistled lowly. “That’s a huge ass bear...”

Akashi glared at the other for the word choice, but before he could say anything, Atsushi manoeuvred around the tiny space and pressed his head against his chest. Akashi instinctively reached for the long brown fur, to stop himself from falling. “ _Of course_ , you’re being clingy.“ he deadpanned.

Atsushi huffed and then laid down, using his huge paws, to force Akashi to sit as well. So there they were, Atsushi Shifted, Yōsen pressed against the lockers to give space for the massive bear, staring and he was sitting, back pressed against the furry side. Himuro Tatsuya’s ears twitched, as he watched and Akashi’s gaze flickered to the other.

“A Snow Leopard... huh? You found yourself an interesting partner, Atsushi.“ he noted absently. Atsushi growled. _Muro-chin is nice._

Akashi hummed a hand running through the thick fur. That would leave some of his scent on the bear and calm him. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than not leaving any marks at all. He reached into his bag and took out some fruits. The bear looked at him in a betrayed manner for not giving him cadies, but Akashi didn’t budge.

For one, Atsushi was sick and would need the vitamins. Plus, these tasted sweet too. Not to mention, that the bear side of the giant loved roots and fruits, even if Atsushi liked denying it. After a moment of staring down, the other picked up the fruits and lazily munched on them.

He patted himself on the back for remembering to bring extra food. Atsushi in a mood was always easier to deal with, if food — preferably something sweet,— was nearby. When Atsushi was finished, Akashi stood up. “Next time, do tell your coach if you’re sick. Playing like that might mean losing control and the last thing you need is to tamper someone of Tetsuya’s size to death,” he said sternly.

The bear grunted. _Sorry, Sei-chin._

Akashi sighed and nodded. “But do keep that in mind. And _sleep_ , when you get home. You’re sick.“ Atsushi nodded, as he picked up his bag.

He just barely reached the door, when Atsushi grabbed him — suddenly half-Shifted,—and pulled him into a hug. Akashi let himself be held for a moment and then he gently peeled the Center off. “I will have to go now.”

“Ah, okay.“ Atsushi let him go and Akashi threw a look at Himuro Tatsuya. The feline stiffened, as their gazes met.

“Do take care of my brother, Himuro Tatsuya. Failing to do so, will mean we’ll _hunt you down_ and you’ll wish I’ve never learned your name.“ he growled.

The other feline looked a little taken aback but nodded mutely. Satisfied with the reaction, Akashi slipped out.

* * *

As they walked towards their bus, Murasakibara could feel the questioning gazes of his teammates. Or specifically, the curious eyes of Muro-chin. The American returnee was eyeing him as if he’d suddenly turned into a confusing puzzle.

“Why didn’t you say you’re sick?“

Murasakibara grunted. It had been so damn hard to resist Shifting when all he wanted to do today was _sleep_...

“Because we had a match.“ he drawled. Sei-chin’s smell was still on him — an oddly welcome and calming mix of tea, blood and shampoo.

“But you could have told kantoku...“ Muro-chin tried, but Murasakibara threw him a dark look.

_Weakness is not tolerated._

That was what Teikō had taught them and Murasakibara had not yet forgotten it. He would rather _not_ think of what might have happened if he skipped today’s match. Resisting his instincts was hard enough, with Sei-chin around, when all he wanted, was to cuddle with his brother and sleep. The fact that he was sick and hungry, had made it even harder to resist his Shift.

“No. It was fine.“ he grunted.

“Not it wasn’t, because you’re not okay and your crazy, intimidating ex-Captain just threatened to tear me apart!“ Muro-chin growled, “I keep an eye on you, because I consider you a friend, but do help me survive your crazy ex-teammates, by being a bit more _communicative_!”

Murasakibara flinched a bit and then sighed. “Sorry, Muro-chin. I’ll tell you next time.“ he muttered, biting down on his tongue, to stop himself from saying more. From telling the feline, that they were not his ex-teammates.

There was a moment of silence and then the dark-haired one glanced at him. “I thought... you weren’t on speaking terms with the others anymore?”

Murasakibara grunted. “It’s not that... it’s... we’re still...“ he trailed off, shaking his head, “...I like them still, that’s what you’ve to know. You wouldn’t understand.”

Himuro blinked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t understand?“ he repeated in a surprised manner, “Why would you think so?”

Murasakibara shook his head. “You wouldn’t and that’s it. You wouldn’t understand, because you don’t know what things had been like back then...“

Himuro eyed him. “You went on your separate ways and threw friendships out the window for basketball. Seems pretty clear to me.“

No, because the _Kiseki_ were still a family, _still a pack._ And even if they attended different schools, they belonged together. (Although he heard the scepticism in his friend’s voice. He knew, that Muro-chin didn’t believe his own words. His eyes — the glint in them— were the proof of it.)

Still, Muro-chin didn’t ask about the Kiseki any more. He didn’t ask about Shifting or why he hadn’t wanted to Shift in the locker. Murasakibara appreciated his silence because he did not want to speak about it. He didn’t want to remember Teikō.

And Muro-chin understood at least _that_ if nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Himuro, my animal of choice is _Snow Leopard_. Snow Leopards are queit and solitary by nature, which is exactly how Himuro striked me as, as a person. Also, the animal itself represents protection — Himuro kind of “babysits” Mura— a well as patience— again, Himuro needs a LOT of patience, to deal with childish people like Mura, or barsh ones, like Kagami,— and power of stillness and they are also associated with awareness, calmness, focus. With how calm and observant Himuro is, these traits also fit. Another symbol associated with this animal is strategic disguise, which may match with Himuro’s fakes, during a match — he strategically decieves the opponent to achieve his goal.
> 
> For Murasakibara, my animal choice is _Brown Bear_. The Brown Bear is the second largest land carnivore of the world (with an average 318kg in the wild, but they may grow as large, as 751 kg). Also, they are very strong and despite their size, rather fast, just like Mura, when he puts effort into his game. While in this AU, I count bears as carnivores, in reality, they eat plants/nuts and meat at the same time. Mura likes to eat a lot, too. Plus, he is kind of lazy/likes to sleep sometimes, which matches with the bears’ habit of hibernating for winter. In symbolism, bear symbolises strenght, importance of solitude — matches, because Mura seems to be a bit of a loner,— and rest/quiet time.
> 
> For Liu I chose _Panda_ because the first things that come to mind, when I think of China, is their food and Pandas. And Liu is an exchange student from China, so it seemed a plausible choice.
> 
> As always, please leave comments and share your opinions :3


	4. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕒𝕔𝕜 (𝕡𝕥. 𝟙)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-Winter Cup opening ceremony. The Miracles gather by the stairs, heeding the call of their ex-Captain and still-Alpha. Kagami and Furihata regret following Kuroko, but it’s too late to back down...

Kuroko felt like skipping in happiness. _He didn’t, because he still had his pride as a carnivore, thank you very much,_ but still. He was happy to be here. His team had been skilled and determined enough, to reach as far, as the Winter Cup. And the others were here, too — his siblings. This meant, that he could see them and play with (against) them. That was also good. Regardless of the outcome of this championship, he was _glad_ to be here.

As they stopped for a moment, wondering where to go and how to deal with the damn big crowd, he felt it. 

The gentle, but urgent tug on their Pack Bond. 

Seijūrō’s roar — calling them for a meeting— echoed in his ears. The message, which the roar carried, was clear and urgent. _Pack meeting by the stadium stairs, now._

He perked up, looking around. Of course, no one else had heard the roar. No, this calling was private meant only for the Pack. He was sure, that the others had heard it as well. He glanced around and when he was sure, that their coach and Hyūga-sempai were still preoccupied, he slipped away.

In the commotion, it slipped his attention, that two of his teammates, who will be _very_ _un_ welcome people, were following him.

* * *

Aomine stiffened when Sei’s call reached him trough their Pack Bond. _Pack meeting by the stadium stairs, now._

He found Tōō still busy with pre-game preparations, which was good. They would not notice them gone. His gaze quickly found Satsuki, whose eyes were glinting with happiness and urgency. She’d heard the call too, of course. All of them had and they couldn’t wait to get away. He made a small gesture and her eyes fluttered in understanding.

Using all the stealth skills he had as a carnivore, he slipped from the locker room and marched quietly to the end of the corridor, where he leaned against the wall. A minute later, Tsuki appeared, smiling and _sparkling_ — yes, she was most definitely sparkling—from happiness. (Should he have stopped her from going to Kaijō those last two times, with the excuse of “information gathering“? She was already a bouncy person, but the more times she spent with Ryō... well, she was picking up on his endless energy and sparkliness, which was equal parts annoying, worrisome and just plain _exhausting_ to look at.) Sure Aomine knew that he had a lot of energy too... but he preferred quiet and the kami were the witnesses, _that Kise Ryōta did not know what **being quiet** meant _.

“Can we go, Dai?“ she sang.

“Hai, hai. Come on.“ he said, pushing himself away from the wall and heading towards their destination with some hurry, but still considerate of the fact, that Tsuki was next to him. She would not be able to keep up with his speed, so he measured his steps.

Shin and Atsu were already there when they arrived. Both looked relaxed and pleased, their claws and fangs showing, now that they were relaxed around each other. “Dai, Tsuki.”

“Dai-chin, Sa-chin.”

Aomine allowed a small smile to appear on his lips, as he sat down. His tail and ears showing, as well. Tsuki proceeded to skip over to Atsu and hug him. The bear didn’t resist the signs of affection and gently padded her hair. She hugged Shin too, who did the same—and purred in the process, but the Shooting Guard would vehemently protest against it, if either of them called him out on it,— before giving her her “monthly lucky item“. ( _Read:_ something she would cherish, but in fact, belonged to Shin and had his scent on it.) It happened to be a pretty, yet elegant ring, which Shin had hung on a leather cord and added some pink gems, to fit her better. He tied it around her neck and she bounced in happiness.

The next one to arrive was Ryō. The blonde barked and bounced excitedly, hugging them all — wagging his tail in the process. As much as they all whined about Ryō’s bounciness... well, no one told him _not_ to do it. Secretly, they all _liked_ it and Aomine was no exception. It also helped calm his nerves, that the physical contact left his siblings’ scent on him.

Sweets and pine from Atsu.

Mint, butter and sunshine (as odd, as that sounded) from Ryō.

Old wood, confidence (because if confidence _had_ a smell, that smelt like this distinct something from his green-haired brother) and red beans from Shin.

And of course, Satsuki’s smell too — because humans had smells too, just much less defined, than a Shifter’s. She smelled of cherries, like always. (And of course, as an Enigma, she had _their_ scent on her, but beneath that, it was cherries.)

And then he caught a whiff of something else as well. Vanilla, rainwater and cool, well-concealed power. _Tetsu_.

But he wasn’t alone, sadly. A growl reverberated through his body, as he smelled Kagami — the American smelled of burning coals, determination and homemade food. Tetsu appeared, composed as always, but his eyes were shining with happiness.

And then, _that_ smell appeared too and Aomine forgot about Kagami completely. Tea, shampoo and blood. And damn, he felt the excitement from Sei too and Aomine honestly wasn’t sure, if that was a good or a bad thing...

“I apologise for being late.“ Sei drawled, calm and composed like always, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Ryōta, Atsushi, Shintarō, Daiki, Satsuki...“ mismatched eyes shifted and Aomine noticed, that they had _unwelcome intruders_ as well.

Kagami and another Seirin kid, who were both trailing behind Tetsu. The brat was reeking of fear, now that he realised, that the place was full of carnivores and he had only one of said present carnivores on his side.

“It seems you brought some _unwelcome intruders_ , Tetsuya,” Akashi growled, flashing his fangs at the two. Aomine couldn’t help but growl and the others growled too, Shin hissing in warning — pushing Tsuki behind him—, all their fangs bared. Kagami Taiga (and whoever the other one was) — were most _unwelcome_ here.

Tetsu turned, taking a few steps away and nodded to the two. “Kagami-kun, Koganei-kun, please _leave_.”

Kagami’s eyes locked with Sei and the other growled as well, revealing his fangs. A moment later, the American’s tail and ears were visible and his scent turned even stronger. Ah, so the redhead was a Tiger Shifter... _Yep_ , Tetsu was a cat magnet, no denying it now. (Because, even if Shin would have liked to deny it, the one the Shooting Guard liked the most, other than Sei... well, it was Tetsu. And the two had spent a considerable amount of time together, back at Teikō, whenever not on the court.)

“So you’re Kagami Taiga...“ Sei growled, slowly descending the steps, “ _Leave_.”

“Why would I leave? Kuroko’s coming with me because he’s my....”

 _‘You signed your death warrant, foolish tiger,‘_ Aomine scowled mentally. ' _Tetsu’s **not** yours. Tetsu is **ours** — our brother, our teammate, **our packmate**.‘ _

The next moment, Sei leapt into the air and Shifted while airborne. Kagami pushed the other Seirin kid — what did Tetsu call him? Ah, not that it mattered,— farther away and Shifted too. Sei landed on him and the two of them rolled on the ground, growling and snapping at one another, although Sei had some advantage, as the tiger was beneath him. Still, Kagami was bigger. Not that it bothered Sei. Both of them growled and roared their front paws reaching for each other, claws bared...

... and suddenly, Tetsu was between them, howling and barking, ears flattened against his head, fangs bared, tail raised in a show of dominance. He was growling at the tiger and backing toward Sei, pointedly stepping on the lion’s bigger front paws. Sei’s tail twitched in annoyance and discomfort, but he slowly backed farther from the tiger.

Sei Shifted, but his ears and tail were still visible, eyes narrowed and burning with anger and protectiveness, fangs bared. Kagami hissed, ears flattened against his head, but he Shifted as well. But his ears and tail were still clearly visible, his posture equal parts threatening and defensive. Tetsu let himself slip from his full animal form too.

“You _should not be here,_ Kagami-kun, Koganei-kun.“ he growled and then looked at Sei, “and Seijūrō, please refrain from killing Kagami or Seirin will not be able to participate in the tournament.”

Both of them growled, but then Shin descended the steps, soundless and deadly elegant, like always and he put a hand on Sei’s shoulder. “He’s right. If this reaches some officials, both Rakuzan and Seirin will be disqualified _. Don’t._ ”

Aomine relaxed a bit. Shin, the perceptive, the voice of reason, when even Tetsu was in the crossfire — like now.

“Leave.“ Sei commanded.

Tetsu nodded, giving them all a look and then raised his icy — it wasn’t just icy, it was subzero, by now— gaze on the two. Aomine couldn’t help the spark of smugness, that reared its head in him, as both Seirin players took a step back, noticing the threatening, domineering stance Tetsu was holding. “Move along, please.“ he said. The growl from his tone was gone, but his fangs were still visible and the icy calmness...

... Aomine shivered. Nothing was worse than the calm, icy anger of one Kuroko Tetsuya. ( _That_ , Tetsu’s icy anger, was something even Sei was wary of and with a good reason.)

The two Seirin players squawked and scurried off. Tetsu gave them all one last look and leapt after the two.

Aomine swallowed. A part of him hoped Seirin won’t make it till the very last round, to face Rakuzan (because he was sure, one of the two teams at the very end, will be Rakuzan). If they somehow still made it... well, he wouldn’t put it past Sei to break the tiger, both mentally and physically...

* * *

“Is that guy mental?!” Kagami growled as they marched back in. Koganei-kun was still shaking, pale as a ghost and Kagami was raging.

 _“Kagami Taiga.“_ he growled out, flashing his fangs at the other. Kagami seemed taken aback and froze in his tracks. Kuroko’s eyes narrowed on him. He didn’t like when someone badmouthed his siblings/bondmates and he hated it when someone assumed Sei was mad. Nope. Just very, very protective and... dominant.

But that was excusable. He wasn’t the Pack’s alpha because he had looked at them nicely, back at Teikō. No. Akashi Seijūrō made sure he deserved the lead-position he was in, may that be in basketball or within their pack. And for that, they loved and respected him. He was a leader, but he never lorded over them and even when he might have lost his cool... Shin was there, calm and rational, to placate the lion and the two of them together would come up with something that solved whatever dispute they were in, without Sei having to tear someone apart.

“You are talking about a valued acquaintance of mine and my ex-Captain.“ he warned, “I do not like people badmouthing my ex-teammates, especially when those words are most unfounded. Seijūrō had a valid reason to react, the way he did. I asked you to leave and he had done the same. You resisted and he reacted accordingly. He is not someone whose orders you oppose.”

Kagami grunted and resumed walking, his hands shoved into his pockets. “I noticed.”

Kuroko sighed. He liked Kagami — Kagami was a good friend and someone whom he enjoyed playing with. But sometimes, the fierceness of the tiger, which was so enthralling to watch on the court, was a headache to deal with outside a game. Like now.

“Remember what I told you after we first met Tōō?“ he asked quietly, “We’re no longer teammates, but we’re _still_ a pack. Our Bond is not broken.“ he looked at the other scratchingly, “That was a Pack meeting and it had nothing to do with this tournament. And you and Koganei-kun intruded something _personal_.”

Both of his teammates flinched at that, sharing a glance, before looking at him guiltily. “We’re sorry, Kuroko.“ they murmured.

Kuroko sighed and shook his head. “It wasn’t nice... but I’m not angry. That, however, cannot be said about the others. They will do everything now, to make sure we fail this tournament. Not because they want to see me upset... but because it is their way, to show what... intruders get for insolence. You two just made this tournament for Seirin ten times harder and I will be sure to tell as much to kantoku and the others.”

The horror on his teammates' faces was the sweetest revenge he ever tasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Kagami, the choice of animal (as mentioned in chap 1) is _Bengal Tiger_. For one, Kagami was compared to a tiger several times in the show, so I stuck with that. Also, tiger is one of the biggest land carnivores — along with lion and several bear species. Also, in symbolism tiger represents passion and fiery will, physical strenght and bravery. All things, that Kagami displays during the series, like when he refuses to give up and even against strong opponents like Akashi, he confidently states, they will win or when despite his exhaustion, he still goes on with a match. Also, tiger as a Spirit Animal means that the individual wishes for adventure in their life. For Kagami, this “adventure“/ambition is to defeat the Kiseki no Sedai.  
> Male Bengal tigers have an average total length of 270 to 310 cm (110 to 120 in), including a tail of 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in) long. They typically range 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in) in height at the shoulders. The standard weight of males ranges from 175 to 260 kg (386 to 573 lb).
> 
> Akashi is an _African Lion_. I honestly tried looking for other predators, but this seemed to fit him the best. Lion represents strenght, assertiveness and personal power. Akashi is a skilled player and a good leader. Also, lion is often called “the king of animals“, which would fit Akashi, as the Captain/leader of the Kiseki. Also, lions in symbolism represent predatory feelings like anger and aggression — seen, when Akashi attacks Kagami— and the personal struggle to deal with these negative feelings. Which is also spot on, because Akashi has/had a dual personality and is aggressive, but after he returns to his real self during the match with Seirin, he struggles with his actions and apologises to Rakuzan/ ex-teammates afterwards. Also, male lions are territorial/protect the females and cubs, just as Akashi protects the Miragen. At the same time, male lions rarely participate in a hunt, but if the prey is too big, ex. a buffalo or a girraffe— the male will also help. Just like Akashi — he lets the Miragen deal with their own problems, but always keeps an eye open and the moment the Miragen need help, he is there.  
> Average size of lions vary depending on where they live. Head-and-body lenght is between 184–208 cm (72–82 in), tail lenght is between 82.5–93.5 cm (32.5–36.8 in). But the “size” difference is mostly noticed in weight. Male lions in Southern Africa weight between 186.55–225 kg (411.3–496.0 lb) / while in East Africa these numbers are 174.9 kg (386 lb).
> 
>   
> And nope, Akashi did not cut his bangs here. Mainly because I like, when his hair is long, plus he did not have/need the scissors, as a weapon.  
> HELP! I´ve no idea, what sort of situation would force Midorima to Shift! He´s calm and rational... so how should he be revealed?  
> Please leave comments and share your thoughts! Comments make the world go round! :3


	5. ℂ𝔸𝕋𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕔 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-Interhigh, Pre-Winter Cup. Tōō and Shūtoku meet for a practice match... and the teams are left to wonder about the odd dynamic between the Miracles. (AU!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU WARNING! There is no Tōō VS Shūtoku match in the series, so this is just my imagination!

_‘Damn Shin and his agility.‘_ that was Aomine Daiki’s first thought, as they walked down from the court for half time. He could already feel the bothersome tug of transformation, lurking just beneath his skin. He took a deep breath and tampered it down.

Out of them all, other than himself, Shin was the most agile and so, he had the best chance of keeping up with all his crazy crossovers and other tricks... well, from the pack that is. Oh, Tetsu and Ryō were fast too, even while Shifted. (As were Sei and Atsu, but they were crazy big for their species and that limited their speed. They were better on strength. Sei and Atsu were bigger than the rest of them, so they were just a little slower — at least, while Shifted.) But neither of them were this agile. This sort of agility was exclusive to felines and they all knew it. Not that anyone was complaining.

Their pack was rather varied, even if three of them were felines — varied in animal forms as much as it was varied in players (styles) and personalities. But that was okay. This crazy combination of vastly different players/Shifters was what had made them such a feared team.

Tsuki passed him his water bottle and Aomine drank greedily.

“Damn it... isn’t Midorima a Shooting Guard?“ Wakamatsu murmured, throwing a dark look across the court, at his green-haired brother and Bondmate. Aomine’s eyes narrowed.

“He _is_.“ he said, looking at the blonde, “And... you’ve seen just enough of Shūtoku’s matches, to know, that the way I can shoot from any position, he shoots from any distance. So... just don’t let him have the ball and we’ll be fine. I can keep him occupied.”

“We _noticed_ , Aomine.“ Imayoshi deadpanned, “But... what Wakamatsu was trying to imply, was Midorima’s impressive speed and agility, despite his position. He _does_ keep up with you and you’re the fastest, I’ve met so far.”

Aomine snorted. “Other than Murasakibara... the rest of my ex-teammates can _all_ keep up with my speed, but Tetsu... well, he’s got low stamina, so he’s the likeliest to pass out first if it’s about keeping up with me. But the others? They’re not so limited...”

Imayoshi studied him sharply. “It’s not exactly what I meant.”

Aomine plopped onto the bench. “What then?“

Imayoshi’s eyes lingered on Shin first. “He is fast _and_ agile. Not as much as you... but close. He’s like you, isn’t he? Some sort of big cat, when Shifted. Cats are agile, after all. And he’s good enough in matching you step for step and that’s not just because he knows your style.”

Aomine blinked owlishly. Imayoshi was sharp. He should have expected his new Captain to figure it out. He glanced towards Shin and then back at Imayoshi. “Maybe he is.“ he said stiffly, “But that doesn’t matter. I can shut him down — focus on the rest of his team.”

He passed his bottle back to Satsuki. “Thanks, Imōto.“ she nodded and before anyone could say a word, he turned to stalk back onto the court.

* * *

As expected, the moment he touched the ball, Shin was right there, eyes narrowed in concentration, but still alight with happiness. They loathed Teikō for forcing them apart, but at the same time — a part of them was grateful. With the seven (because Satsuki’s data were goddamn accurate and useful, so much that it was _scary_ ,) of them on the same side of the court, they’d been unstoppable.

Like a force of nature, dominating every single match. (Could it have been any other way? A team of carnivores, senses and athletic skills honed to perfection... and they hadn’t even tried once, to kill each other. They worked like an oiled machine, defying all laws of Shifters and the universe.) They’d only tried to tear Haizaki apart, but _that_ too had been a team effort. _[They hadn’t been a pack then. Bonding had been Sei’s idea, at the end of their Second Year, well after Haizaki had been ejected.]_

He smirked and tried passing the other, agile as always, but Shin sprang in that unexpected way of his. Aomine bounced the ball and caught it with his other hand, taking a step back, but Shin reached out. Aomine cursed, as the other leaned closer, fast as always. He threw the ball while trying to keep Shin away, but Shin jumped unexpectedly, gracefully. For a moment, Aomine thought he might Shift... but then he realised, that Shin’s control was too good for that. The Shooting Guard manoeuvred in the air, reaching for the ball...

... and his finger brushed it, just a little.

Annoyed and excited at the same time, he watched the ball bounce on the rim and the very next moment, Shin still in the air, he sprang forward, their arms brushing just a little. He jumped up and caught the ball, slamming it in, dangling from the hoop for a moment. Not long, he didn’t want to break it, after all. As he landed soundlessly, so did Shin, but there was a cry.

Aomine’s feet weren’t even properly on the polished wood, when he sprang around, excruciating pain making him choke on air, as it flashed through their Bond.

Shin cried out and fell — oh shit, _SHIT_... his leg bending under him...

 _“Shin!”_ he called, eyes going wide, as the other predator yowled in pain, his fangs and claws immediately showing.

_“Shin!”_

_“Shin-chan!”_

The second cry had come from Tsuki, the third one from a Shūtoku member, but Aomine ignored that. Shin froze up and the referee immediately blew the whistle and called the game to a halt. Both teams moved, but Aomine was the first one there, kneeling by his brother and packmate, panic and guilt filling his mind.

“Shin?” he called, as the other feline yowled, curling in on himself. “Shintarō.“ he tried again.

The teams came closer, Satsuki downright running, first aid kit already in her hands and then Aomine’s vision was filled by black. It was a bird — and from the impressive talons, it was a predator— flapping above their head and he growled, but Shin caught his wrist before he could lash out.

“Takao.” Shin hissed, as Tsuki knelt next to him.

The bird landed on Shin’s other side and Shifted to reveal the energetic Power Guard, who was practically glued to Shin’s side, for all Aomine knew. The guy — Takao, Shin said his name was—glared at him heatedly, as Tsuki gently did her best, to have a look at Shin’s injured leg.

“Couldn’t you have been more care—?”

“Takao!” Shin reprimanded, yowling, fangs bared, as Tsuki sighed, looking at them. Shin took a deep breath, obviously fighting his instinct to Shift. “It’s not Aomine’s fault. I was too close —a careless move from my part.”

Aomine grunted his fangs showing in distress. “Gomen, Shin. I should have not—”

“Ah, leave it, Dai—” his sentence was cut off as he yowled once again. His ears popped up, but then he took a deep breath, curled in on himself, trying to resist his body’s reaction.

Aomine cursed Teikō for their teachings. Shin was stressed and in pain and he was _still_ trying to resist, only because Teikō’s lessons were way too fresh in their minds. Aomine put a clawed hand on the Shooting Guard and gently pushed him back. “Shift, Shintarō. Tsuki will need to have a look and injuries like this show better in animal form. Besides, it will be easier to make your way out of here, on three legs, than have others drag you.”

“No, Dai... you know...” he growled, the message clear. _Shifting here, like this, is a show of weakness. And they’d never seen me before._

Aomine breathed out through his nose and pulled his claws back. “We’re _not_ in Teikō anymore. The match is out the window anyway, cause I don’t give a rat’s ass about it. We’ll settle the score when you’re better. _Now Shift **damn it** , so we can have a better look and you need rest anyway.” _

Shin chuckled, beads of sweat running down his face. “You picked up more of Tetsu’s cool, persuasive temper than you would think.“ he noted amused, but Aomine ignored the jab. When his glare didn’t relent, Shin sighed and slowly allowed his body to relax.

Aomine pulled back as his brother’s body changed, to reveal his full form. Short, sandy-grey fur, white underbelly and the still-striking green eyes he had as a human (their human eye colour was the only thing Shifters kept, even in animal form) made for an intimidating combination with the countless pounds of muscle ready to spring forth, canines flashed.

“Eh, Shin-chan’s a cat?“ Takao asked and Amine rolled his eyes.

“Not a random cat, you idiot. _Cougar_. Sheesh, learn some zoology.“ he grunted, flashing his fangs at the other.

The bird Shifter — probably some sort of hawk, if his name was any clue— raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, hey, _chill_. I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

Shin mewled, glancing between him and his black-haired teammate. _Take it easy on him, Dai. Takao’s my partner on the court and the only other Shifter of the team. If not for him, I might have suffered some mental damage already, from being alone all the time. I like to have my space, but the silence gets too much sometimes. Takao’s a good partner._

Aomine sighed and stood up, absently brushing a hand through the short, sandy fur. “Whatever you say, Shin. How about we grab some food? My treat. By the time we’re done, you should be rested enough to Shift back. The teams can finish with switching us out. Wouldn’t be fun without you on the court at all.”

Shin’s tail flipped in disapproval, as he growled. _You should finish here._

Aomine rolled his eyes. “Told you, no fun at all, if you’re sitting out.”

Shin huffed and looked at the ceiling, carefully making his way towards the gym door. He yowled softly, ears twitching. _We’re grabbing something from the cafeteria. I don’t feel like going out, while Shifted._

Aomine shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat. Are you coming, Tsuki?“

She nodded, smiling a little. “Of course.”

* * *

By the time their teams appeared in the cafeteria, their food was gone and Midorima had rested and relaxed enough to Shift back into his human form, which was a good thing. The fact, that he had Shifted during a match of all places, was bad enough — his injury was another blow, but at least it wasn’t too serious. A week or two and he’d be back on the court.

“Are you three done?“ Tōō’s Captain asked, looking at Dai and Tsuki.

“Yes, we are.“ Tsuki answered, standing up.

Dai stood too, glancing at him. “Get better soon, huh? We have an unfinished match.”

Midorima rolled his eyes. “You know these things are not that easy, as wishing it away, nanodayo. But I’ll keep the unfinished showdown in mind, don’t worry.“

Dai snorted. “If I’m picking up Tetsu’s temper than you’ve certainly picked up more than a healthy dose of you-know-who’s dramatic vocabulary.”

Tsuki giggled and Midorima shook his head. “I’d be careful with such words, Aomine. Akashi has ears everywhere and the Winter Cup’s coming up. He’ll fling you from the court by your tail if these words get back to him.”

Aomine’s eyes flashed and he smirked. “He _can_ try, but I’m still better at tree climbing than he is.”

Midorima snorted. “How _the Hell_ had you survived Teikō?“ he leaned back in his seat, “No, _don’t_ answer that. Probably the only reason you’re still alive is that Tetsu’s so damn attached to you and we all know how attached Seijūrō is, to Tetsu. Poor him, he’s probably thrown all his “you-owe-me-a-favour-as-my-mentor cards“ away. And what for? To save your sorry hide.”

Tsuki couched to try hiding her laughter, but it was failing spectacularly and Aomine was growling at him canines bared, irritation and anger flashing through their Bond. “Shut up, _Midorima_.” he whirled on his heels and strode off.

Tsuki rolled her eyes, waved at him, wishing swift recovery and then she bolted after Daiki. Midorima watched them go with a disbelieving shake of his head, very aware of the still-staring teams.

* * *

For the first time, Midorima was very grateful for the rikshaw. It would make things easier, getting back to their dorm and all.

“Uh, Shin-chan?“

Midorima glanced up, as Takao stopped next to the bicycle, looking at him curiously. “Yes, Takao?“

“Ah... it’s not  _ my _ business, per se... but you seemed oddly relaxed around Aomine. I thought you Miracles... didn’t like each other anymore? You know... going on separate ways and all that...”

Midorima shook his head. “We’re still close. It’s just... that we realised we could only have fun with basketball if we went our separate ways. Have you ever heard Aomine’s flippant saying? Borderline trademark, by this point.“ he murmured absentmindedly.

Takao eyed him and then shook his head. “No. What is it?“

“ _ The only one who can beat me is me. _ That’s what he always says... but...“ he sighed, “No one’s ever caught the underlying message, so they think him arrogant. But that superiority, that’s in all of us, in a way — even in Kuroko, as rare as he is to show it.”

Takao raised an eyebrow. “Well, it does sound rather arrogant... but if you say he means something else by it...  _ what _ is it?“

“The only one, who can beat me is one, who’s like me.“ Midorima said, “That only one of us can give him a challenge and that’s true for the rest of us. We’re strong, Takao. Very much so... but sometimes... that strength is more burden, than benefit.”

Takao blinked at him and then nodded slowly. “A-ah, that makes sense, I guess. But... dunno. It was like... there’s something else, too? And why didn’t you want to Shift?“

Midorima’s eyes narrowed on the other Shifter. “As you so wisely said just minutes ago, it is not your business. It’s between me and the other five Miracles.”

Takao gave him a long look and then sighed, sitting on the bike. The way back to their dorm was quiet, but Midorima could feel his partner’s unasked questions hanging between them.

_ Why haven’t you Shifted before? Do you hate to Shift? What was that with Aomine? _

But Midorima took great care in disregarding those unvoiced questions. Takao does not have to know everything — this was just his and the other ex-Teikō’s problem. He didn’t need Takao to look at him with sorrow and pity, if he told him, that he still shared a Pack Bond with the Miracles, but it was damn painful because of the distance Teikō forced between them.

No.

He didn’t like losing a basketball match or — like now— leaving one unfinished.

But he  _ loathed  _ when people pitied him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takao is a _common Black Hawk_. The adult common black hawk is 43–53 cm (17–21 in) long and weighs 930 g (33 oz) on average. It has very broad wings, and is mainly black or dark gray. The short tail is black with a single broad white band and a white tip. The bill is black and the legs and cere are yellow. In symbolism hawks are seen as messangers of the divine (kinda fits, with how Midorima pays attention to Oha Asa and him and Takao are almost inseperable). Also hawks have a clear vision. (Not to mention, that Takao’s ability is called Hawk Eye). Plus, people with this animal symbol are guides/leaders and even if Midorima does not like to admit it, he DOES pay attention, to what Takao says.
> 
> Midorima is a _Cougar/Puma_. Cougars are mostly loners, which Midorima is, in a way. In symbolism, this animal is linked with many things, so I will just point out the ones, that fit Midorima. Leadership/responsiblity of leadership. Fits, as he was the Teikō team’s Vice-cap and even now his “siblings“/packmates turn to him/follow him if Akashi is not around. Responsiblity and dependability are also attributed to this totem, which is alo Midorima, as he is responsible and reasonable, even when the others may let their emotions get better of them, plus as a former Vice-cap, he was responsible for the Teikō Basketball Club, in a sense. Midorima is also analitical/obersvant person and observation is also linked to the spirit animal, but can be counted in the real world as well, as cougar’s strike their prey, when the chance of sucess is the best. This animal is also agile, good at jumping. Midorima’s skills on the court point to these attributes even if he does not use them often, since he can shoot from literally any distance... Cougars also have a strong link with the divine/spiritual energies — all I have to say is... _Oha Asa and Midorima._  
>  Cougars are slender and agile members of the Felidae. They are the fourth-largest cat species worldwide; adults stand about 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in) tall at the shoulders. Adult males are around 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long from nose to tail tip, and females average 2.05 m (6.7 ft), with overall ranges between 1.50 to 2.75 m (4.9 to 9.0 ft) nose to tail suggested for the species in general. Of this length, the tail typically accounts for 63 to 95 cm (25 to 37 in). Males generally weigh 53 to 100 kg (117 to 220 lb), averaging 68 kg (150 lb). The largest recorded cougar, shot in 1901, weighed 105.2 kg (232 lb).
> 
> @Let_The_World_Honor_The_Fallen, thanks for suggesting Midorima´s animal. After I checked it out, I realised it was the perfect fit :D
> 
> Ah, not the best... but Midorima was very hard. Please leave comments and share your opinion :3


	6. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕒𝕔𝕜 (𝕡𝕥. 𝟚)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-Winter Cup. As the teams gather to celebrate the end of the Winter Cup and their newly formed bonds and friendships, a few Shifters notice somthing odd about Momoi Satsuki. And they get a glimpse at the true Kiseki...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, RAKUZAN wins the Winter Cup (final score is also different from canon). For one, the Kiseki are close to each other so Kuroko does not need to "unite" the team again, like in canon. Plus, as in-universe Kagami and Koganei intertupt the Pack gathering (chap 4) the Kiseki are hell bent on teaching Kagami/Seirin a lesson, that their "private" business is not to be interrupted by any "outsiders", no matter how close said "outsider" is, to one of them.

The Winter Cup was over and Rakuzan won.

“W-we lost?“ Kagami murmured, looking at the scoreboard.

It was a close match, but not close enough. Rakuzan had let go of their restraints in the last quarter and that had been enough — Akashi in The Zone was way too overwhelming. Kagami had tried to stop him, but it was no use. The Captain of the _Kiseki no Sedai_ was more, than what Kagami could chew.

**112— 98**

Seirin stood shocked. They’d given everything they had, yet Rakuzan still overwhelmed them. They were all in various states of shock and denial. They’d made it so far — farther, than ever before— and they still _lost_. The only one, who was completely unruffled by their loss, was a certain teal-haired Phantom player.

Kagami frowned angrily, as he gestured at Kuroko. He was in his half-form, striped tail swishing back and forth in agitation and Kuroko briefly wondered just how much was the tiger resisting a complete Shift. Kiyoshi was also out of commission, the massive, dark-furred bear he turned into taking up the free space beside their bench completely.

“How can you be so _goddam calm_ about losing?!” the tiger growled. Several Seirin players looked towards them.

None of them was surprised, to see Kuroko entirely human — no matter how tired the Phantom was, he always held his instincts back. If it hadn’t been for that one time, when they’d met Tōō... well, Seirin had no illusions. If it hadn’t been for that one time, they still wouldn’t know what sort of carnivore the sixth Miracle was.

“I warned you, Kagami-kun. I warned you all to be ready for this.“ Kuroko said, expression blank, but his eyes swept his team, “I warned you, that Akashi Seijūrō is _not_ a person, whose orders you ignore. He told you and Koganei-kun to leave and you did not. _This_ is the price of insubordination — complete and utter destruction.”

Several Seirin members flinched and then shuffled over to their side quietly. Koganei and Kagami shared a look and then they looked guiltily at their teammates. “We’re sorry.“

Aida Riko sighed and shook her head. “Interrupted meeting or not, we might have lost anyway. They’re frighteningly good.“ she said, “Although, they might have been gentler in the last quarter if _Bakagami_ hadn’t provoked Akashi.”

Kagami mewled at the sharp glare Aida sent him. “Sorry, coach.”

“But then again, he’s goddamn good strategist.“ Hyūga sighed, “Played the whole thing, like shogi and I don’t think we could have done something against that...”

“ _You_ couldn’t have.“ a new voice called, startling Seirin. They all perked up, to see Akashi approaching them lazily, like a predator stalking its prey. “You couldn’t have done anything, but Tetsuya could have.”

The Phantom perked up, shaking his head. “Ah, that’s not exactly true, Seijū—”

“Is it not, Tetsuya?“ the redhead raised an eyebrow. “You and Shintarō were always the ones, who caught my strategies first. You even faster, sometimes, than him. You _could_ have stopped me several times if only Seirin paid attention to what you were doing on the court. If they’d paid more attention, you could have synced the whole team to a level, that would have shut down both Kōtaro and Reo and you _know_ it. And if the brash tiger were paying you any heed, as he had _not_ all this time, you could have directed him to give me some challenge, because I admit, he’s close to Daiki’s capabilities enough, that with a decent strategy, it would have worked. You and Daiki weren’t our best offence in Teikō for nothing. Even if some of the teams saw trough my strategy, you could direct Daiki and on occasion, Ryōta, on the spot to negate the problem. I had my reasons to mentor you and you know that well.“ he glanced at Seirin and then his eyes lingered on Kiyoshi. “The only one, who has some common sense, is the _Iron Heart_ , it seems. He did try to warn you and _you_...“ he pointedly looked at Kagami, “ignored that too. Not only ignored the word of your so-called partner but ignored the word of an upperclassman, who happens to be an _accomplished and known_ player in the Japanese circuit, _unlike you_.”

Kagami flinched at that, as if physically hit. Akashi’s eyes narrowed on the tiger. “Nonetheless, let this be a lesson to you, Kagami Taiga. We’re not the _Kiseki no Sedai_ for nothing and if you ever had doubts _why_ Tetsuya is part of our Pack... let me tell you, _he’s as good as any of us._ Not on his own —but then again... basketball was never a solo sport. And when I say _Pack,_ I do mean my former teammates and _I do not take kindly to outsiders sticking their muzzle into things, that do not concern them._ ” he growled, flashing his canines at the tiger.

Kagami flattened his ears against his head and Seirin drew father from the Rakuzan Captain, intimidated and rather taken aback, by the impromptu display, when they hadn’t even seen a hair or a claw on him at all, throughout the match.

Kuroko sighed and gently nudged his former Captain. “Leave it, Sei. I’m sure they’d learnt a lesson never to underestimate us again, only because we don’t wear the same jersey anymore. And I’ll deal with Kagami-kun myself, thank you. I _did_ keep the Club in line on those few occasions of your absence, remember?”

The redhead hummed and nodded, visibly relaxing, but the regal air did not dissipate. “Of course, of course. Satsuki insisted on a meeting to celebrate the end of the Winter Cup and from what I know, the other Captains and coaches —needing various levels of persuasion from the others, have agreed.“ he glanced at Hyūga and then back at Kuroko. “Seirin is welcome as well and you can lead them to our usual meeting spot.”

Kuroko hummed and took a step back. “Yes, of course. But _which_ of the usual places, Sei?”

The redhead hummed, turning on his heels. “The first one, _team_ meeting spot. Not the Pack meeting spot.”

The Phantom nodded and glanced at his team. “We’ll consider, thank you. Now, I think you should be going, before your teammates take each other apart.” he said amusedly, gesturing to Rakuzan’s bench.

On the other side of the court, Rakuzan was in a smaller state of disarray, as their Vice-cap was pinned to the floor by a winded, yet still, playful cheetah said predator yipping sharply at the dark-haired teen.

Akashi sighed, rubbing his face. _“Kōtaro!“_ he called sharply, “I swear... I should get paid for dealing with those idiots.“ mismatched eyes found blue again, “Wouldn’t you consider transferring to Rakuzan, Tetsuya? Chihiro’s retiring anyway and I _swear_ any more of _their_...“ he gestured at the Generals, “...foolishness and I might tear someone apart. They’re _worse_ than Ryōta, Atsushi and Daiki _combined_.”

Kuroko chuckled, patting his shoulder. “The woes of captaincy. But then again, you should be used to this, by now.“

The redhead rolled his eyes. “Back at Teikō, I had three childish idiots to deal with and three reasonable members to stop me from going mad. Here, I have three childish idiots and _one_ reasonable member —and sadly, Chihiro’s retiring, as he’s Third Year. So, the odds are not in my favour, this time.”

The Phantom hummed amusedly. “I’ll consider, just for the sake of your sanity, Captain. Will that be alright?”

Akashi sighed. “I suppose it’s better than nothing.” and then he strode away, growling at his teammates and Kuroko watched him go, blue eyes sparkling with barely contained laughter.

Seirin shivered.

“ _What_ is he?“ Hyūga mumbled, “Never met a First Year, whose aura was so... _overwhelming_. How can you stand it, Kuroko?”

Kuroko shrugged. “Sei’s been my mentor all through my First Year in Teikō and the early days of our Second, before Ryō— Kise came along. And even after I started mentoring Kise-kun, we often met up with Sei. It was just the two of us... or sometimes us and Shintarō, before big matches. Everything I know about basketball and related topics, I’ve learned from the best. He’s a good instructor.”

Seirin’s jaw dropped at that. “You-you're kidding, right? _Right?_ “ Izuki asked, eyes wide.

Kuroko gave his upperclassman a look. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Seirin shared a few looks and a quiet agreement passed between them. They neverwanted to know what else Kuroko might have learned from his ex-Captain, so better not piss him off. A pissed off/annoyed Akashi was scary enough. They didn’t want to know what _Kuroko_ — whom they saw every day,— was like when pissed.

The Phantom, oblivious to his teammates’ growing terror about the new piece of information they acquired, watched Rakuzan retreat. “Shall we join them, Hyūga-sempai? Seijūrō was serious with that invitation and —“ he glanced at the spectator area, “it seems the other teams have accepted his and Satsuki’s offer.”

“A-ah, s-sure, Kuroko.“

* * *

The teams targeted a small, authentic restaurant, where the old lady greeted the _Kiseki_ with surprise, but there was recognition in her eyes, as she looked at the colourful group, followed by _a crowd_ and needless to say, the previously empty restaurant was filled to the brim in seconds with loud, enthusiastic basketball players (two teen girls) and a few exasperated adults.

It didn’t escape anyone’s attention, that the six Miracles claimed a table for themselves, excitedly chatting, as if they’d never split up —as if there were nothing wrong with them. It was odd enough — honestly, troughout the months certain Miracles have played for them, they noted certain oddities.

For one, how they all refused to Shift, even when it would have been better for their bodies or how they claimed to be still friends, despite having split up, to play for different teams. And now, they all claimed a table for themselves, their good mood obvious.

“Is it just me... or do you think this is odd?“ Fukui asked, as he watched the six players, plus Tōō’s manager, their little circle closed tight, downright ignoring everyone else.

“What is odd?“ Kaijō’s Captain asked, his eyes trialed on the former Teikō students, “What is it you find odd? The fact that they refuse to Shift, refuse to skip practice and randomly turn up or disappear to help each other? Or you find it odd, that they just sat down and are chatting merily, as if they were still in Teikō and we didn’t even exist?”

“All of these things?“ Kagami offered, “It’s not exactly normal... okay... maybe it is... but I honestly don’t understand them anymore.”

“Why would it be normal, Taiga?“ Himuro asked, glancing at his longtime friend.

The tiger Shifter shrugged. “Well... Kuroko said they were still a Pack.“

Himuro blinked. “N-nani?! But _why_ would they go to different schools then?“

“Aomine had said something similar, once.“ Tōō’s coach admitted, his eyes trailed on the seven students, “That they were still a Pack, as their Captain didn’t force them to sever the Bond. Him and Momoi-chan mentioned something about a deal and that’s why they went to different schools.”

“Yeah, Shin-chan said something after our practice match againts Tōō.“ Kazunari chimed in, his blue eyes flashing to the green-haired Shooting Guard. “He said they were still close and that it was only ever fun to play basketball against each other.”

The teams shared several looks and studied the six (seven) oddballs from a safe distance. That is, until a certain General had enough and carelessly sauntered over.

Mibuchi hissed in panic, whille Nebuya flaied, afraid for his fellow Crownless General’s life. “ _H-hayama!_ _What_ are you doing, get back here! Do you want Sei-chan to prepare your hide?!“

The cheetah, however, didn’t pay attention to his teammate and instead trotted over to the seven.

“Huh? Oh come now, going over to them isn’t exactly too dangerous...“ Moriyama murmured flippantly, “They may be Shifters, but...”

“It _is_ dangerous.“ Kagami cut the Kaijō player off grimmly, “They’re ready to pounce at a moment’s notice and the first one to tear out your troath will be Akashi. The second one will probably be Kuroko and the other four will make sure there’s no body to be found.”

Teammates and coaches shivered at once. “That doesn’t sound too... _reassuring_.” Takeuchi — Kaijō’s coach— noted with a frown.

“It wasn’t a reassurance, but a warning.“ Kagami said, throwing the man a look.

The teams watched with baited breath, as Hayama chirped at the Teikō group, to make them realise he was there. To their shock, the cheetah stopped suddenly, and sharp, green eyes settled on one Kuroko Tetsuya for a very long moment. And then the _Raijū_ chirped happily at the Phantom, placing his front paws on the seat, to be closer in height with the sitting human and then he licked the teal’s face, rubbing against him. Kuroko blinked owlishly and Momoi giggled, muttering something like “cat magnet“.

Then unexpectedly the five other Miracles growled, eyes narrowed and fangs snapping at Hayama, as Aomine jerked the Shadow away from the cheetah.

 _“Paws off, **Kotarō** , if you want to stay alive!“_ Akashi growled, his voice more animalistic, than Rakuzan had ever heard it.

The cheetah jumped off, cowed by the sight of the enite Generation looking so hostile. Aomine switched places with the Phantom, effectively trapping the Seirin player between himself and Midorima, (and as far from the cheetah, as possible) who’d never looked more murderous.

“Try something like _that_ again...“ Aomine snarled, “and Seijūrō being your current Captain will be your smallest problem, _General_.”

“Guys, it’s alright...“ Kuroko tried, only to elict more growls from the Generation.

“No it’s not, Tet-chin.“ Murasakibara said, his large hands showing even larger claws, which he flashed towards the cheetah. “You’re our Packmate and he shouldn’t have done that.“

“Shouldn’t even have gotten _close_.“ Kise growled. “I get it you’re a cat magnet, Tetsucchi, but still...“

“I’m no such thing, _Ryōta_...“ the Phantom denied exasperatedly, as the Generation’s protectice circle tighened around him and Momoi.

The cheetah scurried off, hiding behind Mibuchi and for several tense minutes, no one dared to move, as growls and hisses came from the Generation’s table, making it clear for everyone, that they didn’t take nicely to someone _not_ one of them getting close to one of their own.

It took several minutes for the all-star team to calm down and return to their food. Once that happened, the teams took their seats cautiously, wondering what was the safe distance to be at, from the distressed/angry team of Shifters. (Whom everyone noted, _did_ indeed act like a Pack... and the other few Shifters present, could even smell the mixed scents on them— which screamed _Bonded_ —, so powerful, that it almost made them want to back away.) No one missed either, how they slipped about in their seats, quiet but swift, all of them snuggling and cuddling with Kuroko, as if to get rid of Hayama’s meager scent on the teal.

It took a good fifteen minutes, until the Miracles were satisfied, that _no, not a whiff of Hayama’s scent reamined on **their** Bondmate_. (The teams also noted with some surprise, that once Kuroko slipped from one teammate to anoter, the next one to be coddled and checked over, was Momoi.) Once they were sure of that fact, they fell quiet again, turning to their food once more, only half-words and growls emerging from the table occasionally.

It was Himuro, who bravely (perhaps foolishly?) decided to break the crypt-like silence in the restauant, as everyone ate their orders. “So... you’re a Pack. I mean, _still_... despite being so far away.”

The Miracles paused, eyeing the Yōsen player for a moment, before Aomine spoke. “We’ve always been like siblings, like family. Being Bondmates was as close as we could get to declaring it, without having proper blood relation.”

“But if you’re that close...“ Nakatani spoke up, pointedly looking at his Shooting Guard, “why split up? It’s unusual for Packs to be so far away. Not... impossible, but unusual.”

“We never wanted to split up in the first place.“ Kuroko said quietly.

“But you still did...“ Aida said, looking at her player. “Why?“

For a moment, there was silence and the seven shared a few looks, then Akashi growled in waring and then the Miracles returned to their food.

The sign was clear for everyone — they didn’t want to speak about it.

For a long while, there was silence oddly tense, but then, next, it was Kagami, who spoke up, eyes narrowed on a certain manager. Of course, the Miracles noticed, that the tiger Shifter was staring at their Bondmate and their eyes narrowed warningly on him.

“Hey, stop staring at Satsuki like _that_ or I’m going to tear your tail off!“ Aomine warned, flashing fangs and claws at the other carnivore.

Kagami drew back a bit, but didn’t take his eyes off of the manager. “I’ll do so, if you tell me why she smells like you.”

Aomine snorted derisively. “Don’t tell me you haven’t met an _Enigma_ before. Satsuki’s one — been one since I first Shifted, as a child. Rather, after I learned, that trough Bonds, I can keep other Shifters away from her. She’s like my sister, so don’t be so surprised, that I don’t like idiots like you being around her.”

“I know _what_ an Enigma is!“ the redhead snapped back irrately, ignoring the jab for a moment, too focused on the girl, “And I wasn’t talking about _you_. But _all of you_ —she’s got _six_ scents on her. Took me some time to realise, what was so odd about her, but now that you’re all in one spot, it’s easier. She smells like you, that faint scent non-Shifters have isn’t even noticable.”

At that, the other Shifters in the room perked up as well, their eyes — all their senses, in fact,— narrowed on the girl. Momoi fidgeted uncomfortably at the sudden attention and snuggled closer to Kuroko, whose eyes were as cold, as the Arctic. Liu and Kasamatsu glanced away, but Kiyoshi’s gaze remained lingering, along with Hayama.

“She _really_ smells like all of you.“ the blonde said, now in his half-Shifted state, green eyes studying the girl curiously. “How can that be?“

“She’s part of the Pack.“ Midorima hissed, his green eyes burning, daring anyone else to speak again. For a while, no one did...

“But that should be impossible.“ Imayoshi pointed out, “An Enigma has, at best... two Shifters’ scents on them. _Not six_.”

Shocked, curious eyes turned to the Kiseki and then Akashi had enough. He answered, but his irritation about being interrogated was clear. “An Enigma _may_ have more than two scents, but that is very rare, mostly because those, who have an Enigma in their life, don’t have a Pack. Or if a Shifter has a Pack _and_ an Enigma partner, the two parties rarely cross paths. Daiki and Satsuki already had a Bond, by the time they arrived in Teikō and we formed a Pack well into our Second year, by the time Ryōta was a regular. Satsuki was around as often as I assume she is around Tōō now. Maybe even more, as whenever we were out on the streets, we played and she often joined a two on two, partnering with whomever was up for a little extra game, while the others sat out. So she’s as much part of the team, as anyone else and we care for her as much, as we care for each other.“ here, he glanced at the other Miracles, “so, when we formed our Bond...“

“Dai asked if I could join, since an ex-regular, who got kicked out for Ryō, caused me a lot of trouble and other guys did the same, Shifters and non-Shifters too.“ Momoi finished with a small frown, “Sei, being the responsible Captain and new Pack leader he was, said yes... so...“ she shrugged. “Made my life easier and harder at the same time.”

“Huh? That’s a paradox, you know...“ Aida murmured.

“Many in Teikō thought she’d Mated.“ Kuroko spoke up, “We had a lot of explaining and snapping to do, to make the other students keep quiet.”

Kise chuckled. “And that’s when Teikō learned, that the Phantom bites just as painfully as our beloved Captain.”

Aomine snorted. “Are you kidding, Ryō? No one who had some self-preservation instinct, Shifter or not, approached Tetsu and Sei after _that_.”

“I still don’t want to know what happened.“ Midorima chimed in, giving Kuroko a vary look. The Phantom flashed a deceptively innocent look at the Shooting Guard.

“I could tell, Shi-chin...“ Murasakibara spoke up, “I’ve been there... but... It kind of gave me nightmares. It would give everyone nightmares too and I don’t want that.”

Kuroko gave an apologetic look to the Center. “Ah, gomen, Atsu. I didn’t mean for you to have nightmares... but I couldn’t let them get away with saying those things about Satsuki.”

The giant hummed. “I know... Tet-chin but...“ he shivered. “Still. I thought only Sei-chin could be _that_ scary and bloody...”

“Ah, but Atsushi... Tetsuya hadn’t been my apprentice for nothing.“ the redhead said, half-grin revealing his still-long fang.

And from there, the conversation somehow evolved into bickering and laughter, the seven of them snuggling into each other. No one said a thing, as they watched the Miracles interact. They may have split up, as a team (for unknown reason), but it was obvious, that they very much cherished one another.

“Pack or not...“ Kagami grunted, “you guys are still an odd batch, you know that? How can seven so different people even consider being in the same place, much less be Bonded?“

The seven stopped and then shared a look. It was Kuroko, who answered. “You know, Kagami-kun... my family are an old line of Wolf Shifters and we have an old saying.“ he trailed off for a moment, (those, who hadn’t known the Phantom was a Wolf, perked up at the information, some looking surprised, others wary) “A saying...“

“Which we all took to heart.“ Akashi murmured, as the seven shared meaningful glances, suddenly serious.

“And what’s that saying, Kuroko?“ Kiyoshi asked.

Kuroko’s eyes glinted sharply, his carnivore status as a Shifter, more obvious, than ever before. It sent shivers trough several people. “If they stand behind you, protect them...“ he glanced at Momoi, Murasakibara and Kise.

“...if they stand beside you, respect them,“ Midorima continoued, glancing at Akashi and Kuroko.

“...if they stand agaisnt you, _defeat_ them.” Akashi said, eyes narrowing on Kagami.

“It may be a wolf saying...“ Aomine murmured, dark gaze flashing sharply, “but we’ve all learned, that it has all the truth we need to remember. Teikō was not a sparkly and perfect place, but as long as we kept these words in mind...“ he glanced at the other Generation members, “...we didn’t forget why we were there. So we never failed in protecting and respecting each other.“

“And we certainly never failed to teach the insolent ones their place.” Akashi added cooly.

That day, the teams learned, that appearances were decieving. And they all made a mental note not to challenge the _Kiseki no Sedai_ , when they stood right next to one another, becase whoever stood against those six (seven) — may that be on or off the court,— would be defeated.

Because they were a Pack and no matter what, a Pack didn’t leave one another behind.

Because they were _family_ , no matter the distance between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Kiyoshi, I chose _American black bear_. For one, he is strong and tall, like Murasakibara, but not as much, hence why I chose a smaller bear species. The primary meaning of the bear spirit animal is strength and confidence, which I believe fits Kiyoshi perfectly. Also,(among other things, some of which were mentioned in Mura’s chapter) bears also symbolise leadership and taking action — this fits Kiyoshi because he “took action“ in founding Seirin’s Basketball Club. Bear is also associated with strong grounding forces — Kiyoshi helped Hyūga find his footing, when he wanted to quit basketball (shown in flashback) and he also grounded Seirin, whe they were about to lose their head against Kirisaki Daiichi.  
> American black bear weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health and season. Seasonal variation in weight is very pronounced: in autumn, their pre-den weight tends to be 30% higher than in spring, when black bears emerge from their dens. American black bears on the East Coast tend to be heavier on average than those on the West Coast, although American black bears follow Bergmann's rule and bears from the Northwest are often slightly heavier than the bears from the Southeast. Adult males typically weigh between 57–250 kg (126–551 lb), while females weigh 33% less. Studies have indicated that the average mass is 86 kg (190 lb) in adult males. Adult American black bears in Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Alaska were found to average 87.3 kg (192 lb) in males, whereas on Kuiu Island in southeast Alaska (where nutritious salmon are readily available) adult American black bears averaged an estimated 115 kg (254 lb).
> 
> For Hayama, my animal choice is _cheetah._ Chiefly because when his “animal instinct“ ability was mentioned, he was compared to a cheetah. Secondly, I believe the symbolism of cheetah also fits him. Cheetahs are among the fastest of animals on the planet and is _the fastest land animal_ , capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph). Fast like lightning, as the saying goes, which parallels with his moniker of _Raijū (Lightning Beast)._  
>  Also, in symbolism cheetah isn’t only a representor of speed and agility, but self-esteem and it was shown, that Hayama is confient in his abilites, as he likes to show off and takes pride in being one of the Uncrowned Five. Cheetah is also empathic and playful — Hayama is also energetic likes to fool around a lot.
> 
> As always, please leave comments and share your thoughts :3
> 
> Also, this was/is the end of this, as I have no other ideas at the moment, BUT... since this is for you, @spaded_ace if you have a character or two, whom you would like to see, as a Shifter and has not been mentioned, feel free to tell me and I will add one or two extra chapters :)


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